Diamonds Out of Dust
by Sincorah
Summary: A young hunter with a dark past comes across a most unlikely ally during her quest for justice for the murder of her parents. She meets up with the Winchesters, and slowly finds herself drawn into the darkness and chaos surrounding their lives. (Co-written with fiddlestixox)
1. Of Hunters and Demons

**Hey all! This is a newer story I started writing with another author. Alice is her character, and she has written at least half of this, so credit where credit is due, this story is only half mine. If you want to review/compliment the other author as well, she is fiddlestixox here. Enjoy, and as always, constructive criticism and reviews are most welcome!**

Alice sat at a desk in the small library of Walker Minnesota. Her eyes flickered between several books as her hand worked fervently to keep up with the notes she picked out of the text. She'd been working on this particular hunt for two days now, and was just finishing up on her research. The Chase on the Lake, a hotel on a lake near the town, had been getting quite a bit of attention lately due to some rather violent hauntings. So, she decided to come check it out. As she worked, she heard the sound of footsteps walking up behind her. She paid no mind, hoping they'd just ignore her just as she ignored them.

Now, Alice Thompson was no naïve young hunter out to make a name for herself. She had been born into the hunting life, as her parents liked to experiment with exorcisms. However, one day, when Alice was 17, they went after a demon they shouldn't have, and that one particular exorcism went very wrong. The sole survivor, Alice swore vengeance upon the demon who had murdered her parents, and caused the accident. Something in the powers of the exorcism had remained, even though the demon had escaped, and the accident caused one of her eyes to turn fully black (very much like a demon's). She's 23 now, with long brown hair, and stands at 5'7. A simple, innocent looking young lady who was much, much more than she seemed.

The footsteps did not move along, however, but began to approach from behind her, and Alice felt a prickle of fear run down her spine. Before the stranger reached her, Alice turned towards them, standing to face them. Her hand twitched towards the blade concealed on her hip as she turned and faced the stranger head on, locking eyes with them. Her hand rested at her hip, where she kept a small knife, just in case. She gave the stranger a quick look over.

"Evenin' love" his voice had a rolling lilt to it, and he held up his hands innocently at her defensive motions. "Easy, lass. I mean no harm."

"Then how about you take a quick moment to explain exactly what you do mean and maybe I'll be able to relax a little." She said. Her voice was very calm, but her eyes carried enough of a warning for him to get the message. "Not to be rude, but I don't appreciate random strangers creeping up behind me."

His dark blue eyes narrowed, but he took a step back. He kept his hands where she could see them, and he retreated a bit more. "Look, your name is Alice, yeah? Alice Thompson?"

"Yeah, that's me." She said, her caution giving way to curiosity. She kept her hand by her hip, but relaxed slightly, leaning against the table behind her.

"Maybe you should just keep your hands away from that knife, lass. It won't do you much good anyway." He grinned sheepishly, pushing his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans as he glanced down, before looking back up, blinking. In an instant, his eyes flicked from their deep blue to a midnight black throughout.

Alice stiffened instantly. "What do you want?" She said firmly, readying her defense. True, the knife would do nothing. But she had a small bottle of holy water in her purse that would at least distract him long enough to get to her truck.

"I meant it when I said I didn't mean you any harm. I may be a demon, but I'm still human, yeah?" he chuckled, but when she tensed, he backed up another step. "Listen, fair's fair, and your mum and da saved me life once. Now, I'm just returnin' the favor. These 'hauntings' you're looking into. They're a trap. A ruse set up by the Big Bad what snuffed your parents. He wants to finish the job. Me? I just want to get back to my own. I won't harm you, but if you plan on trying to send me back below, I won't hesitate to incapacitate you, lass." With a nod, he blinked again, his eyes turning back to their original blue, and he shot her another cheeky grin before turning for the door.

Alice watched for a second. "Hey." She called to him. "Thanks. It's not very often someone actually offers to help. That said, if this is set up by the demon that killed my parents, I'm still going. It'd be nice to kick his ass if I got the chance. If you wouldn't mind doing me one more favor... Do you know who I'm up against? Might need to call in some back up."

Up until this point, the demon hadn't shown any emotions beyond nonchalance or mild amusement. However, when the hunter mentioned calling in back up, he froze in his tracks. Without turning back, he said curtly, "Listen lass. I did my duty, paid my debts just by coming here and warning ya. I don't want any trouble, yeah? You call in backup, and we're done." He took another step, stopped again, and then growled softly under his breath. "Take it to the Pit." Spinning around, he stalked back toward her, unheeding of her defensive position or her hand back on her knife again.

"The demon that thirsts for your blood. I know him. Don't know his name, but he's bad. Bad news, and rotten to the core, and I'm a _demon_ saying this. He has done things that frighten even me." The demon tilted his head. "Yellow Eyes, I think was the nickname in certain circles."

"Yellow Eyes." She whispered. She had very few memories of that night. Not much more than the sound of her parents final screams. But, another very clear detail that always haunted her nightmares was a pair of yellow eyes. "If I do call someone, they won't be here for you. For all they'd know, I figured it out myself. You never came here. I owe you now. The only demon I'm after now is the bastard that killed my parents. And when I'm able to finish him off, I'll have you to thank. Far as I'm concerned, this Yellow Eyes is the only demon in the area."

He shook his head. "You want to thank me? Forget you ever saw me. I know who hunts Yellow Eyes, and there's not a demon, monster, or ghost who has come across those two and lived to tell the tale unscathed. The Winchesters take no prisoners, and make no exceptions. I want nothing to do with them, or Yellow Eyes. Yeah?" With that, he turned again, and nearly ran from the place.

Alice watched the demon disappear. The Winchesters... She sighed. Sounds like she'd be doing a different type of research tonight. She went back to the table, gathering her things. She abandoned the books on the table, no longer needing them, and brought her things back to her truck, climbing in and heading back to the hotel. Time to make some phone calls. Once she got back to the hotel, she pulled out her parents' old notebook. On the back pages was a collection of phone numbers. Emergency contacts, and other hunters. She called the first one on the list and waited.

"Singer Salvage Yard."

"Hi. This is Alice Thompson. Um, this might sound a bit strange, but I found your number in my parents note book and I was wondering if you could help me out with something." She said. "My parents were Kimberly and James Thompson." A heavy sigh, sounding almost defeated, came from the gruff voice on the other side of the phone. "They were good hunters, the both of 'em. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if you could help me find someone. I'm looking for the Winchesters." She explained, quickly avoiding the topic of her parents. "I have a hunch on what killed my parents, and I think they can help."

"If you're looking to mess with Yellow Eyes, you're looking for trouble you won't be able to handle. Leave it to Sam and Dean, Alice. I don't want to see you going the same way as your parents." *Click"

Alice stared down at her phone. With a sigh, she called the number again. He hadn't given her a chance to finish.

"What?" Singer demanded.

"Look, you're the one that hung up before I got the chance to finish. I think I'm already mixed up in it. That's why I'm calling. I'm in Walker Minnesota, following what I thought was a hunt. I have a hunch that it's a trap. I think the Yellow Eyed Demon is in town, and I think it's after me."

There was muffled static from the other end of the line, an angry voice shouting in the background. A pause, then faintly, the roaring of an engine fading into silence. Then, another sigh from Singer. "Looks like trouble's headed your way Thompson. But at least you'll have the best backup you could ever ask for." He lowered the phone from his ear, and right before he hung up Alice could hear a quiet "I'm surrounded by idjits."


	2. Conversations

Elsewhere, Damian struggled to contain his panic. Whilst the human had seemed to be just an average, everyday hunter, she was involved with Yellow Eyes, and that meant nothing but trouble. Where Yellow Eyes went, inevitably, the Winchesters followed.

Alice couldn't help but smile just a little. Help was on the way. That was good. So, when she put down her phone, she got to work. Salting the windows, and placing a devil's trap at every entrance. Once the room was fairly well demon proofed, she sat on her bed with her laptop, doing some research for some possible future jobs.

Looking at his feet, Damian didn't bother watching where he was going as he moved hopelessly along sometime later. It was likely too late to escape the town now, so he wandered without purpose, wondering if there was any possibility of a chance at escape. Knowing Yellow Eyes, he doubted it.

Suddenly, he was stopped by an invisible force. Looking up, he realized he had run into the edges of a devil's trap, and he cursed to himself when he realized where he was. Alice happened to glance outside the frosted glass of her door to see a shadow outside. She picked up a knife in one hand, and a spray bottle of holy water in the other, and silently stalked her way to the door. She peaked out, and opened it just enough to glance out, sticking the nozzle of her spray bottle out of the crack as she looked to see who it was.

"Hey, take it easy lass!" His voice shook slightly. "Listen, you said you owed me earlier, yeah?"

Alice let out a relieved breath. "You scared the crap out of me!" She said, putting down her water bottle and opening the door fully. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were leaving town?" She said, kneeling down and scraping out part of the circle around the devils trap.

"You shouldn't trust so easily lass." he muttered. Regardless he stepped through the doorway, but when she reactivated the devil's trap by completing the circle once again, he tensed.

"I don't." She said once he stepped through the door. "There's another trap under the rug you just stepped on." She said, closing the door behind him. "I don't mean any harm. I'm just looking after myself." She said. "Look. You need to get out of town. Consider this another favor. The Winchesters are coming. I called a family friend who sent them over. If you are to have any chance of survival, you should leave town asap."

"I'd like nothing more love, but I'm afraid I may not get that chance." He looked down. "I doubt Yellow Eyes will allow any of us to leave at this point. He calls to us even now." He trailed off, and then looked up at her again. "I can still hear him. He wants your death. He wishes for another death on his hands to anger the chosen brothers. They must be pushed to breaking point. I know not why."

"If he is calling to you, as you say, does that mean he knows where you are?" She asked urgently. "Because if so, that's a big problem for me. I don't know how long it'll be before the Winchesters get here, and I need a safe place until then."

"No lass. He simply knows my proximity. He calls to all of our kind in the area. You are as safe as one can be whilst this near to Yellow Eyes."

"Great. Reassuring... Almost." She said, letting out a sigh. "Still, you should get out of dodge. You'll have more luck surviving if you're not in the hotel room with me when the Winchesters get here." She took her knife and knelt down, breaking the seal on the devils trap. "If you step carefully, you can avoid the one outside." She told him.

"I'm afraid you don't understand, love. Yellow Eyes will not allow me to leave. He will consider it a betrayal. If I stay, I die. If I run, I will be hunted by my own kind until I wish I was allowed to die."

Alice let out a sigh. "Fantastic. Well... I'll cover you then. At least where the Winchesters are concerned." She resealed the devils trap. "Loopholes are great. Can't do much when you've been trapped by a hunter. I'll just tell the guys I'll deal with you later. Besides, now, technically, I don't have to lie about how I found out about Yellow Eyes." She handed him a chair. "Here, get comfy."

Damian's eyes widened slightly. "You would offer me protection? From _them_? Why?" He tried to retreat a step, only to run into the barrier the devil's trap below him created. "At least if they kill me, they'll make it quick." he muttered, trying to hide his unreasonable fear from the human.

"You saved my life." She said. "If I'd gone into that hotel unprepared for what was waiting for me, I'd be dead. I was prepared for a ghost. Not for a bloodthirsty demon. I don't like being in debt. So, consider this me evening out the score. Besides, you've given me no reason to hand you to your death, so why not? If my parents let you live, I'd assume it was for a reason."

Damian eyed the human curiously, forcing his fear of what the infamous hunters would likely do to him when they arrived to the back of his mind. "You would spare my life- to honor a debt? I'm a demon, you're a hunter. Not killing me in exchange for the warning would be fair, but to protect me from others of your kind?" He paced back and forth for a time, pondering possible ulterior motives the human may have. Alice remained silent, waiting for him to sort out his thoughts. "Fine, so be it. But when, not if, Yellow Eyes shows up, I hope you know what you're doing. Because you aren't even equipped to deal with me, so taking him on might be unwise, even if the Winchesters will be here soon to back you up..."

"You know, sometimes people can do things simply to be nice." She pointed out. "As for Yellow Eyes, I'm not afraid of him. He killed my parents. Now, I'm going to put an end to him, or die trying. I've lived without a family for almost 6 years now because of him. If I can get one scratch on him before I draw my last breath, It'll be enough for me." She said, her voice strong and determined. "I want to stop him before he can make anyone else feel how I had to feel."

He arched a brow, grinning slightly again. "A vial of holy water and a give 'em hell attitude?" his voice rolled again. "Not sure if that will be enough there lass. How do you plan to end him? Ya can't kill him, and as for exorcism, well..." he trailed off. "Look at what happened to your parents" he finished, less mocking and more sympathetic than one might expect from a demon. He looked into her eyes again; his own flicking black for a moment as his concentration slipped, and the hunter took a step back automatically. The demon made no aggressive moves, however, simply staring at her for a long moment before speaking gently.

"Do not so readily seek death, young one. There are many years yet of your life, if you live it wisely. Do not throw that away on the slimmest of chances for vengeance."

Alice closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. She sat on the edge of the bed. "All cards on the table, I don't know what the hell I'm doing." She said softly. "Maybe I can't kill him. Maybe I should just turn tail and run but... If I do that, he wins. If I die, he win's anyway. I don't see any other choice then to stand and face him. I've been on my own for six years because of him. I've lived with recurring nightmares about seeing my parents die. Because of him. I've done nothing about it for far too long."


	3. Confrontation

**Please, comment and let me know what you think! I am always grateful for constructive criticism!**

Damian was at a loss. He had never done much in the way of deals, crossroads or otherwise. Truth be told, ever since becoming what he was after years of torment in the Pit, he had lost much of himself along the way, but he had never felt the desire to bring the tortures that he had endured upon others. He tended to avoid his own kind and humans alike, except when necessary. He had never even taken an innocent life! And now, this hunter stood before him, utterly open and almost trusting, seeking help or guidance, something. Something he was likely unable to give. "Listen, Alice, I-"

Suddenly, the door slammed open with a wicked breeze, and a sinister, malicious chuckle could be heard echoing throughout the room. "Well well, what have we here? My little lost quarry, and the white sheep of the family. Excellent work, Damian, leading me to this little one who has so long evaded me."

Alice jumped, stepping back. "You." She said viciously, glaring at the owner of the voice. A white hot rage filled her; just enough to choke back the fear that nearly made her legs shake. She had nothing within immediate reach to defend herself. In short, she was utterly screwed. But she stood tall and strong, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

Damian looked back and forth between the two, immediately noticing the human's mostly concealed fear, which was nigh a tangible scent. Yellow Eyes let out another chuckle from his place in the doorway, not entering yet, though it was clear he felt absolutely no concern whatsoever regarding the devil's traps between him and his quarry. "Oh, I must be insane" Damian muttered softly to himself, before snagging the vial of holy water from the human, uncorking it, and throwing the contents directly into the more powerful demon's face. As Yellow Eyes screamed in shock, rage and pain, Damian grasped Alice tightly by the shoulders, urgently snarling, "Make a deal with me! My protection for yours. My abilities are greatly hampered, and there are always limits to what we can do, but if we play by the rules, and you make a deal, I can get us out of here!"  
"Make a deal!?" She exclaimed. As in sell her soul? In the split second that she allowed herself to consider it, she glanced at Yellow Eyes, who now was very much alike a deadly wasp that had just been shaken up in a jar and just about to be let free. Very angry, and very dangerous. She locked eyes with Damian. "I'm going to hate myself for this." She mumbled, but then nodded. "Do it." She said decisively. It was her only option.

Without wasting any further time, as they had none, Damian leaned in and kissed her quickly, sealing the deal instantly. Surprisingly, the hunter did not feel angry, merely frightened of Yellow Eyes and desperate for an escape. She did not try to pull away or harm him for the kiss, which was surprising. Most humans who were not forewarned tended to react rather violently, one way or another, or so he had heard. A half-second later, Damian pulled back with a grin, snapping his fingers, and within a heartbeat, they were gone, the enraged howl of Yellow Eyes echoing in the night where they had stood but moments before.

Alice stood in shock as the entire moment seemed to flash by too quickly to process. Her agreement to the deal, the kiss, Yellow Eyes, the whooshing feeling and the slight twist in her stomach when Damian snapped his fingers. Yellow Eyes' howl, then, silence. As she tried to register her surroundings, she felt the full weight of everything that had just happened. Her breathing quickened and she closed her eyes tightly trying to calm down. "What just happened?" She whispered, though she knew all too well what the answer was. She, desperate in her need to escape, signed a deal with Damian to get them both out of there.

Grinning like a fool, and caring not at all, Damian turned to his human, the adrenaline and exhilaration of the escape and the rush of power that had been his to use to carry out his end of the deal rushing through him. However, when he got a good look at her face, his own smile fell away, and was quickly replaced with concern. "Ah... Lass? You all right there?" The human stared past him with unseeing eyes, gasping slightly. "Hey, easy! Alice, look at me. Just breathe, yeah? It's all right; Yellow Eyes will not find us here. You're safe." She looked at him for a moment before blinking several times and coming back to herself.

Alice took a few shallow breaths. "What have I done?" She whispered. She knew she was safe. For now. But, she just sold her soul. She knew what happened to people who sell their souls. She'd seen it. She tried to help a woman who'd sold her soul to keep her son alive. But in the end she couldn't do anything and instead was forced to watch the woman get torn to shreds by hell hounds. She blinked rapidly, tears stinging her eyes as she spoke again. "Oh god what have I done..." She didn't blame him, how could she? He got them out of there. He wanted to help. Neither of them had time to consider the aftermath.

Damian would never admit it, but at the sight of the human's unexpected tears, he may have felt just a slight bit of panic. "Hey, hey whoa! What's wrong, lass?" She looked on the verge of panic herself, and the demon was at a loss as to what had upset her so. "What do you mean, 'what have you done'? That was a standard... deal... Oh, _no_!" he shouted, and then moderated his voice when he realized he had done so. "You misunderstand, Alice. You are not mistaken, most deals are for a human's soul, especially crossroads deals, but I worded mine specifically. 'My protection for yours', if I am correct. A deal with a demon can be made for any price, so long as both parties consent. Of course, this may be the first time in history a demon did not choose to take a soul, but when the deal was struck, I asked only for your protection. So long as you keep me safe from the Winchesters, and any other hunters on your behalf, your side of our bargain is upheld. No soul-selling required, yeah?" When the human simply stared at him in renewed shock and suspicious disbelief, he raised his hands defensively yet again. "Truly! Besides, between you and me, the hounds are far from my favorite of creatures. Messy, slow killers they are. But don't let them hear ya say it. They fancy themselves." He winked, trying to lighten the mood.

As his explanation seeped in, and the understanding coursed through her, Alice let out a deep sigh of relief. "Oh." She breathed simply, a sense of utter relief washing over her. She let her head drop, taking a few proper deep breaths. "Okay." She nodded a couple times, pulling herself together. Then, in the moment of pure relief, she hugged him. Only for a brief second. "Thank you." She whispered before pulling back, clearing her throat. "Good thinking." She said. "Glad you thought of it, because I never would have."

The demon froze at the embrace, thrown off yet again by the hunter's surprising lack of mistrust in him. "Uh, yeah... Not-" he cleared his throat. "Not a problem, lass. I was never much of a salesman anyway, to be honest. Only ever closed 2 deals in the last hundred or so years I've been... like this." He shook his head a few times before straightening to his full height, rolling his shoulders back and grinning down at the human once again. While only just pushing 6 feet tall, he still had at least a good 5 inches on Alice, and he put his height advantage to good use. "So," he almost purred. "Now that I have you alone, whatever shall we do?" At the horrified and disgusted look on her face, Damian could not help but burst into laughter, backing off instantly. He sobered soon enough, however, and asked more seriously, "Really though. What will you do now, Alice?"

Alice took another breath, thinking. "Probably call Bobby Singer, warn the Winchesters. If they're on their way to Walker, they should know what's waiting for them." She said, looking around at their surroundings. "Where exactly are we anyway?" She asked, trying to place their location.

Damian perked up. "Singer? That paranoid, grumpy old hunter who knows everything about everyone?" He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. "His place isn't all that far from here, truth be told. He has a hideout somewhere around Sioux Falls, right?" At the human's nod, the demon smiled. "We are about half way between Walker and Sioux Falls, just outside of Clear Lake, South Dakota, so if you contacted the Winchesters earlier this evening, they will likely be close by... as well..." he trailed off, blanching at the thought of just how near the brothers might be.

"Relax. I'm still fully intending to hold up my end of the bargain. We've only got one demon to worry about, and that's Yellow Eyes. The Winchesters will have to go through me to get to you. And I can put up one hell of a fight." She said with a small smile, pulling out her phone. "We'll find a place to lie low for now. I think there's a motel nearby, we'll grab a couple rooms." She said. Sadly, her truck was back in Minnesota. As were her supplies. "Anyway, one way or another, they need to know what we're up against. So, luckily I saved Bobby's phone number." She said, pulling it up and dialing it.


	4. Nightmares

As Alice began speaking with the person on the other line, presumably Bobby Singer, Damian took a deep breath and focused, his eyes flickering black for a moment as he concentrated his power, calling upon the contracted deal with the human to grant him the necessary abilities, then snapped. In the blink of an eye, all of Alice's personal effects, her truck included, appeared beside them on the deserted road just outside of Clear Lake. The human jumped, cursing in surprise, but remained on the phone with Singer. Damian couldn't suppress a chuckle, at which Alice shot him a look that promised vengeance in the near future.

Alice let out a small breath, trying to stop her pounding heart from the shock of her truck just appearing out of nowhere. "Yeah, hey Bobby. I ended up having to leave town. Yellow Eyes came right up to the door so I had to take off. I got out of dodge before any damage was done, but just barely. He definitely noticed me though, and is probably pissed. I'm somewhere on a highway near Clear Lake. Looks like a deserted road." She said, leaning against her truck.

"Sounds like quite the close call there, Thompson." The older hunter sounded mildly suspicious, though that was likely always true of him. "I'll give the boys a heads-up, and let 'em know that there might not be a demon there to fight anymore, if you're certain it was you that Yellow Eyes was after. I'll give them your number as well, so they can get in touch. They might want to meet up and get some info from ya." *Click*

The hunter wasn't one much for courtesy, but at least his information was nearly always reliable.

Alice stuck her phone back in her pocket and gave Damien a look. "You know, you could warn a girl when you're about to bloody _teleport_ her truck into existence. Especially when she happens to be on the phone. I appreciate it; it's nice to have my truck rather than just to walk to the nearest town. But seriously. A word of warning next time would be fantastic."

"Ah, come on lass. Someone's got to keep you on your toes." He bowed slightly as he opened the driver's side door for her, that irritating grin still plastered across his face. "So what did Singer say? He know how to find a weapon that could off Yellow Eyes? Or did he just take your warning, pass it on, and hang up?" As the human swung into the truck, dislodging his grip on the door in the process, the demon made no move to follow.

"Just passed on the warning. He's also giving them my number in case they want to meet up." She said, letting out a soft sigh. "So, what happens now?" She asked, raising a brow.

"Them..." he faltered."Right, of course. I'm sure you want to compare notes and such, and I should really be going anyway..." as he spoke, the demon backed away from the truck, his eyes darting from side to side nervously. "So. As to what happens now, that is, of course, entirely up to you, lass. If you need me, just call me by name, yeah? I'll be there in two shakes of a hellhound's tail." That said, he drew himself up and prepared to vanish.

"You don't have to worry about them you know." She said. "I have my end of the deal to hold up too. They won't get anywhere near you." She let out a small sigh. "But, I guess if you have to go, you have to go. But before you do, if I do need you, it'd be easier to call your name if I actually knew it."

Smile a bit too sharp, eyes a bit too bright, Damian grinned. "Just hearing your voice'd be enough there Alice. Prayers don't always go up." He shook his head slightly, face returning to normal again. "Can't remember my human name, lass. Demons, or at least those who aren't actively trying to kill me, tend to call me Damian." With a wink, he vanished, concealing his fear until he was well out of range of the human before shuddering. Her protection may have been promised, and he did not doubt her abilities, for any hunter going solo for as long as she had without dying had considerable skill, but these were _Winchesters_. They were the bogeyman to the bogeymen. Heh. He grinned, shaking his head as he wandered aimlessly, wondering what his existence had come to that the Plan no longer mattered to him, and that a single human could have proved to be such a distraction. He would never admit it, but in that moment, a tiny piece of his heart softened, and the demon lost just a fraction of hold on what had once been a human soul.

"Damian." She said softly as he vanished. Then, shaking her head slightly, though smiling all the same, she started her truck, heading off towards a hotel. She took her phone out, setting it somewhere easy to get to in case the Winchesters called. Then she turned on the radio. As she drove, she took the time to mull over everything that'd happened in the last 24 hours. She'd faced the demon who killed her parents, met another demon and proceeded to make a deal with him that would offer them both protection. She'd been teleported, kissed, and had narrowly escaped what would have likely been a very gruesome death. All in all, probably one of the strangest hunts she'd ever been on. And, as she was sure, it was just beginning. "Ah, the life of a hunter." She mumbled to herself. Finally, about half hour later, she pulled into a motel, got herself a room, and unpacked her things. Once she had the typical set up done, the devils traps, the salt, the holy water wherever she could find places to put it, and multiple weapons stashed at easy to reach places, she locked herself in, and sat on her bed with her laptop to try and do some research on higher level demons.

In the midst of his existential crisis, Damian heard the human murmur his name, and it grounded him. He smirked, trying to regain his sense of self, and resolutely ignored the faintest of whispers in his mind that screamed for him to _wake up and remember!_ Taking a deep breath, the demon settled in to wait in his chosen hideout. He had to give the hunter this; she was clever, much cleverer than he had originally given her credit for. In order for _his_ end of the bargain to be upheld, he needed to keep her safe from Yellow Eyes, and by extension, all demons working for him. She had essentially secured a demon bodyguard against all of his kind that would mean her harm. This also meant that he could not stray too far from the hunter, lest a patrol or scout were to spot her and attempt to bring her to Yellow Eyes to curry favor. With a content sigh, Damian relaxed into the ratty motel bed, glancing across the street at the equally run-down motel in which Alice currently resided. He had already (covertly) personally tested all of her defenses, and they were as secure as could be expected. Before he drifted into sleep, he mused; a _t the very least, life is no longer boring with her around..._

Alice sighed softly to herself as the night went on. She continued her research, though finding nothing. It was more of an excuse not to have to try sleeping. After earlier today, she just couldn't bring herself to relax. Her mind buzzed. Yellow Eyes had been right there. And if it hadn't been for Damien stepping in, she'd probably be dead right now. Or at the very least, wishing she was. She was truly grateful for what he'd done for her. And all of it for the mere price of whatever protection she might be able to offer him against the Winchesters? Clearly she was getting the better part of this deal. She let out a deep, slow breath, rubbing her eyes. She knew that at some point she'd have to fall asleep. She needed to be alert tomorrow. So, finally, she closed her laptop, turned on the radio, very low, just to drown out the silence, and made up her mind to at least try to sleep. She changed into some sweatpants and a T-shirt and crawled under the blankets. The lights were off but she left a lamp on. With a sturdy but slender dagger stashed under her pillow, and a spray bottle of holy water on her bedside table, she allowed herself to fall asleep.

"Hello Alice." Yellow Eyes stood in the doorway of the hotel room, rage and dark amusement writ across his face. "Did you really think you could escape me so easily?" She looked over, seeing Damian standing beside Yellow Eyes, a parody of his usual grins twisting his normally handsome face into something loathsome and grotesque. "You really are quite the fool, aren't you lass?" his voice rolled as it had when they had first met, but now the playful tone was laced with malicious undertones. "I told you that you trusted too easily" he snarled, lifting his hand as an invisible force violently threw the hunter against the nearest wall hard enough to shatter bones. Damian stalked closer, his eyes blacker than the night, and he made to speak.

The loud ringing of her cell phone startled Alice awake, and she sat up in bed instantly, dagger clutched in hand, heart pounding.


	5. Hunter's Call

Alice gasped for breath, forcing herself to calm down as much as she could as she reached for her phone. She put the dagger down, taking a slow breath before answering. "H-Hello." Her voice trembled a little so she cleared her throat to cover it. "Hello. Alice Thompson." She tried again, closing her eyes and focusing on slowing her racing heartbeat. She ran a hand through her tangled hair. _It was just a nightmare._ She thought to herself. _Nothing more than a nightmare. Calm. Down._

"Hello, Ms. Thompson. My name is Alexander Smith, and I am an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We received a report earlier this evening-" the caller was cut off when Alice, sensing the lie within seconds, interrupted, "Winchester?" There was silence from the other end of the line, before a throat was cleared, and the same voice came again, but much less affected this time. "Yeah, I'm Sam Winchester. Bobby Singer gave my brother and me this number, and told us you might have some knowledge concerning a... mutual _friend."_

"Right, yeah. I was wondering when you might call." She said, the tremble now gone from her voice. "Yeah, I ended up bumping into our mutual _friend_ just... Yesterday. And had to leave town." She said, checking the clock on her bedside table to be sure that she had slept through the night. Sure enough, 8am. "Why don't we meet up somewhere, get breakfast, and chat?" She suggested.

"Sure yeah" the first voice said, while in the background, Alice could faintly make out another, deeper voice demanding incredulously, "She bumped into him and just _happened_ to escape? I don't like it Sam. There's something off about this. Yellow Eyes would never let a hunter go without a reason. Maybe she's possessed, leading him to us or-" The first voice, presumably Sam, replied extremely quietly "Enough Dean. We should meet her anyway, do the standard tests, and then find out what she knows. If she is just an _extremely_ lucky hunter, then great, and if she's a demon, well, devil's traps and enough holy water and salt will likely give us the same information. Louder now, and into the phone again, Sam said "Hey, Alice, right? Dean and I are just passing through Watertown now. I'm assuming you're still in Walker? That's where Bobby said you were when you called."

"No, I left Walker yesterday after the run in. Ended up in um..." She looked around for a clear indication of where she was. "Somewhere near Clear Lake." She said. "I wasn't paying much attention to road signs. I'll meet you somewhere." It wasn't entirely a lie. When she left Walker, she didn't _see_ any road signs. "And um... For the record. I'm not a demon. I know this all sounds incredibly unlikely, but in reality, it's just... Complicated. I'll let you do the tests but I promise. I'm just a run of the mill hunter stuck in a sticky situation who got very _very_ lucky."

"Oh... I uh..." Sam appeared a bit at a loss. "I'm sorry, you weren't-" "I wasn't supposed to hear that? Perhaps you should consider avoiding speaking of such topics when still on the line with the subject of such conversations." There was silence again from the brothers, then the second voice spoke, "Alright, Alice, was it? We'll meet. And if you're just an ordinary, 'run of the mill hunter', then we can talk about Yellow Eyes. But there will be no place on this earth you will be able to hide from me if you're one of those black eyed sons of-" There came the sounds of a slight scuffle, and Sam's voice remonstrating, "Dean!", and then it seemed the phone was back in Sam's hands, for he spoke. "There's a little restaurant just outside of Clear Lake, called State Line Bar and Grill. Meet us there in a couple of hours. Look for two men driving a black '67 Chevy Impala."

The second voice, Dean's, muttered something too low for Alice to hear, and then the line abruptly went dead. *Click*

Alice sighed as she out the phone down. She covered her face with her hands and let out a quiet, tired groan. Sure, she'd had nightmares before. Hell with the things she's seen, she gets them often. But that one? That one made its impression. Her hands still shook, and in her mind she could still see Damien's twisted smirk and pitch black eyes as he stalked towards her. She knew it wasn't really him, just a figment of her imagination, but still. She took a few deep breaths and crawled out of bed. Within a few moments she had made her bed, changed into some jeans, and was getting ready to head out. After about an hour of mulling over the dream, she had decided that she had to confront Damien. Even just see his face. To help convince her that it had, in fact, just been a dream. "Damien." She said out loud. It felt strange, saying out loud with the intention of calling him there... Did it really work that easily? _I mean it's nothing serious... So I hope this doesn't freak him out..._ She sat on her bed, pulling her hair into a thick braid.

Damian yawned widely, stretching slightly even as he cursed the bright morning sunlight streaming through the cracks in the curtains covering the motel's windows. "Mornings should be illegal." he muttered to himself, rolling out of bed and landing lithely on his feet. Rotating his head a few times to hear his neck crack, the demon grumbled, "You'd think after a century or so, I'd have figured out how to avoid crinks in the neck, but hey. Beats hell." He looked around the empty motel room, musing, and then looked down at his clothing. Simple but sturdy blue jeans, work boots, basic black t-shirt with a dark grey button down over it. Simple, comfortable clothes unlikely to attract attention. "And entirely too much like a hunter's outfit..." he mumbled as he meandered over to the motel's tiny bathroom, speaking to his reflection. He flicked his eyes black, grinning slightly in almost childish amusement, as he said to his reflection. "You know, I should probably stop talking to myself. People might think I'm insane... or possessed." His smirk widened, but sarcasm was only so amusing with a crowd of one. Perhaps he should go seek out... "Damian." The demon grinned wider. What a coincidence. He vanished with a thought, reappearing just outside of the hunter's own room. Rolling his eyes, the demon knocked three times, wondering if the human had meant to humiliate him by summoning him but leaving him trapped outside by the salted door. "Lass? You all right in there?" Alice had not sounded distressed when she had called, but if she was under duress, it would be difficult to tell by voice alone whether a threat was present.

Alice looked up at the door, realizing she'd salted all the entrances. She quickly tied off her braid and went to the door, opening it. "Yeah, I'm um... I'm fine. Sorry, I just didn't have any other way of getting a hold of you." She said. Seeing him, oddly enough, actually did make her feel better. She cut through the salt line with her toe. "Forgot about these. Come on in; don't step on any of the rugs." She told him, leading him inside. "I just wanted to let you know I'm meeting with the Winchesters at a restaurant just out of town. They suspect something. One of them seems convinced that I'm possessed because there should have been no way that I should have escaped Yellow Eyes. So, I'm meeting them face to face to prove my innocence and try to figure out what to do." She was rambling a little, still shaken up from that awful nightmare.

He followed Alice into the motel room, heeding her advice and avoiding the rugs as he went. He moved to lounge against the far wall, eyeing the human as she spoke, and though he could not help but involuntarily tense up when she mentioned the Winchesters, her own state of unease was too clear for him to ignore. "Steady on, lass." he muttered, watching the minute trembling of her hands. "What's gotten you so shaken up? The Winchesters don't harm humans. What do you fear?" He pushed himself up, moving towards her, but froze in his tracks when she flinched slightly.

Alice glanced down at her own hands when he mentioned it, cursing them for trembling. "I um..." She shook her head slightly, trying to brush it off. "It's nothing serious, really. Actually quite ridiculous. Nothing to worry about, I'll get over it." She busied her hands instead, using them to pack her purse. She threw in her dagger, a small hand gun, a small bottle of holy water, and some other choice items as she continued talking. "I just um... Ever since I lost my parents..." She was almost too embarrassed to admit even this part. "I get these really bad nightmares. Not very often, but when they happen, it's terrible. No matter how many times they come up, and no matter how much I tell myself that it was just a dream, I always wake up feeling jumpy and on edge." She didn't face him when she said any of this. In fact, she kept her back to him, busying herself with packing her purse as an excuse.

The hunter had shut him out entirely. She kept her back turned as she packed up her effects, and Damian honestly had no idea how to offer comfort, or if he even should. _Some demon I am,_ he thought, _wondering how to comfort a human. Honestly!_ He moved closer silently, despite knowing that in most situations, he was utterly hopeless at giving emotional support of any kind. The demon gently placed a hand on Alice's shoulder, trying to offer what silent comfort he could.

Alice felt his hand on her shoulder. For a split second she tensed. But, realizing that it was a sign of comfort, not threat, she relaxed, letting out a small breath. "Thank you." She said softly. "I know this kind of thing probably isn't typically what you're used to, but I really appreciate it." She put her notebook into her purse and placed her hand over his, lifting it off her shoulder. However, instead of letting it go right away, she held it a moment, turning to face him. She gave his hand an appreciative squeeze before dropping it. Thanks to that one little gesture from him, her fears had been quieted. At least about him. "I'll be okay. Really." She assured him, smiling sincerely. She let out a breath of a laugh. "A cup of coffee, some good breakfast, and I'm sure I'll be fine."

Damian chuckled ruefully when Alice mentioned that comfort didn't seem to be what he was used to, but when she caught his hand and squeezed it, his heart stuttered. What was it with humans being so tactile? Pits below, he was a _demon_ and she was a _hunter_! Her gratitude for his attempts at comfort aside, why did she not hate him as she did the rest of his kind? He may have aided her, but for all she knew, it could be an elaborate trap, a ruse to gain her trust and then betray her. His thoughts racing wildly, he still could not help but smile back at the human's sincerity, glad that she seemed to be recovering from whatever fear had held her before. "Breakfast, eh? Mind if I tag along? We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, and have my end of our bargain not be upheld."

"If you're sure you want to." She replied. "The Winchesters will be there within an hour. But I suppose if we leave early, get there first. Far as they have to know, we're just old friends who met up serendipitously. You can find a place to hide out before they start doing the tests and such." She said, slinging her purse over her shoulder. Truthfully, there was still a shred of doubt in her mind about him. He was a demon after all. This all could be a ruse, and perhaps one night her nightmare could become a reality. But, in the same breath he was also the closest thing she had to an ally right now. And they had made a deal. She knew demons and their contracts. She would just have to follow her initial instincts on this one, and her gut was telling her to trust him. At least partially. She didn't have much other choice.


	6. Friends?

Damian kept his expression blank, though he trembled, and then snarled inwardly, furious with himself that he could not shake the instinctive fear of the legendary hunters. As far as he knew, Ruby had not yet stepped in to fulfill her part of the Plan, so in all likelihood, the worst the brothers would be able to do to him would be torture or an exorcism, as they would still lack the tools to kill him outright. Although, after that stunt with Yellow Eyes, being sent back downstairs would be worse than a death sentence at this point. "Ah... perhaps you are right, but it may be best not to risk it. After all, you will need them to trust you if you want to obtain any information they have on Yellow Eyes, and if they are even a fraction as good at what they do as the rumors say, they will test you outright, likely with the name of the Creator, and then with holy water before you even sit down. If they speak _His_ name anywhere near me, I will have no choice but to reveal myself, and they will know what I am. I doubt they will offer any information to a hunter who has been consorting with demons at any point in the near future." He prepared to leave once again, and then paused as a thought struck him. "I wonder, lass, if you could do me a favor?"

"I suppose that depends on what you need." She replied, eyeing him curiously. She understood the demon's caution towards the Winchesters. She knew that if he happened to be caught by them, it would be nothing but bad news. And, she also knew that if she needed him, all she had to do was call. So she didn't mind. Once again she wondered what drove him to offer to make a deal with her.

He shrugged, "Nothing dangerous lass. I merely need some information of my own from the Winchesters, and asking myself isn't really an option." At the human's skeptical look, the demon grinned again. "I assume, given that you were born and raised into the hunting life, that you have heard the legends of Samuel Colt? They are more than mere legend. He really did make a gun that can kill almost anything, demons included. I feel it may be crucial that you find out whether the Winchesters have heard of it, and if they have, if they have obtained it, before you make any attempts to seek out Yellow Eyes yourself."

Alice absorbed the information "Really? I'd always thought it was just a bedtime story. If it's actually true, and they have come across the colt, we could actually have a chance here." She couldn't help but smile. The mental image of Damien standing over her with that awful sickening grin was replaced by a new image. Herself pulling the trigger on the Colt and getting to watch Yellow Eyes take his last breath. "Even if they don't, if it's out there, I bet we could find it." This was good. Any glimmer of actual hope against Yellow Eyes that they could get, she would take.

"Might be useful, yeah." he muttered under his breath. "Useful for those two to down me before you even have the chance to step in..." He looked up then, hoping the human hadn't heard. "Uh- I mean, yeah, it should be helpful if they have it, or could find it. Even the slimmest of chances at taking down Yellow Eyes is better than what we have now." He glanced out the window, extending his powers, but he could not sense any others of his kind nearby, and so, with a grin and a wink, he lifted his hand to snap his fingers, preparing to vanish once again.

"Hey." She said, stopping once more. She'd heard what he'd mumbled. "I owe you far too much to let you be killed now. You've saved my life now not once, but twice. You've offered me a deal that's entirely unfair to you, just to protect me. And you've gone above and beyond that by acting like an actual friend, not just an ally. I know I may not look like much. Just some random hunter with some holy water and a give-em-hell attitude. But it's gotten me this far. I've fended people off before; I've survived 6 years of hunting on my own. I don't do that by just looking pretty. You've offered me protection, and demon or not, you've given me the closest thing I've had to a friendship since the night I watched my parents die, and until you give me tangible reason not to trust you, I'm going to consider you exactly that. A friend. If those Winchesters do find out about you, and decide to be stupid enough to try and hunt you down, they'll have to go through me." She said. There was a certain fire in her eyes. A sincerity that spoke of something beyond just returning the favor or upholding her end of a deal. This was a promise. An absolutely sworn promise. "Nobody messes with my friends and gets away with it unscathed. Got me?" Then, the fire dimming to reveal a playful glow, she added with a small chuckle. "That said, if I ever find out you're in league with Yellow Eyes, and this is all just some trick to play me into his hand... I'll send you back to hell so fast you won't get the chance to say 'Oops.' "

The demon froze in place, astonished to the point of being stunned into silence at the human's words. A liar by his very nature, Damian was well versed at recognizing lies when spoken, and the human had been entirely sincere throughout that little speech. She truly meant it. She _trusted_ him, and even went so far as to consider him a _friend_! The worst of it was, in his heart of hearts, the demon could feel affection and the strange need to shield this hunter from those of his own kind that would do her harm beginning to grow. Now, Damian had never claimed to be a textbook, run of the mill demon, for truth be told, he had been an outcast and an outsider as a human, and when he had finally succumbed to the tortures of hell, not all that much had changed. Anything resembling a conscience or the desire to do good had lain dormant for nearly a century, but at the human's words, another handhold the darkness held upon his shattered, mutilated soul was lost, and another ragged shred patched back on. "Alice..." he trailed off. He couldn't just let her go on her way. Not without trying to warn her of what lay ahead. What dangers would await, the Plan for the future of the world, the angels and the higher-ups of hell working together towards the Apocalypse... But to reveal so much to an unprepared human would be foolhardy at best, suicidal at worst. Better, then, to stand with this human, who for now seemed to be more worthy of his loyalty than any of the demons whose orders he was supposed to follow. He would remain by her side (when she wasn't hanging around too close to murderous hunters of legend, that is) and do everything in his power to uphold his own end of their deal. "Ah... I-um..." he cleared his throat, trying to gather his thoughts, and failing miserably. "That... means more to me than you can know lass." he murmured quietly. "I will do my best to be worthy of your trust, and friendship." He finally looked back at Alice, staring directly into her eyes, as he allowed his own to go black. "But you should never forget what you are, and what I am. If you trust anyone, ever, human, demon, _anyone_ , it will come back to bite you eventually. Be cautious, yeah?" He said the last sentence with a wink, turning his eyes back to blue, and pulling his many emotional masks back up, once again hiding that glimpse of his true self behind his happy go lucky demeanor that he tended to show the world. "Enjoy your breakfast, lass, and try not to get killed." he added playfully. "Diners can be hazardous places, you know." He grinned, and then vanished.

For a moment, Alice just stood there, absorbing what he'd said. Hell, absorbing what she'd said to him! Course, every word of it was true... And right down to her very core, she believed that what he'd said was true too. She knew what they both were. She knew that it was specifically in their nature to hate each other. Or at least, for her to fear him. But she couldn't bring herself too. When he showed her his eyes like that, she didn't see it as a threat. She saw it as a glimpse into the real him. A show of who he was behind his skin suit. He was a demon, she couldn't forget that. And yet, she wanted to help him, as he was helping her. It wasn't about the deal. It was a genuine feeling of friendship. She closed her eyes, the weight of her situation once again pressing down on her. Between The Winchesters, Yellow Eyes, and now befriending a Demon, things were starting to get complicated, fast. She took a few deep breaths, giving herself a mere moment to feel the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings rush around her mind. But then, as she opened her eyes, she put them all in a metaphorical box to sort through and properly process later. For now, she headed for her truck, bag in hand. Once inside, she started up and headed out to meet the famous Winchester boys, formulating her story as she went, deciding on what to tell them, and what to keep to herself.

As Damian flashed away, he felt a prickle of unease run down his spine, and he suddenly had the feeling that perhaps he should not have left the human alone after all. Taking a steadying deep breath, the demon changed his clothing with a snap, to match the current employee uniforms at State Line Bar and Grill, before teleporting there himself, finding one of the wait staff standing in an alley outside the bar taking a smoke break. He grinned sharply, teeth glinting, before knocking out the unsuspecting waiter, and manipulating his own appearance to match that of the man's. Damian glanced down at the name tag he had just stolen from the unconscious waiter, and shook his head slightly in sympathy for the poor man. "That's rough, buddy." he muttered, looking down at Mr. Alvin S. Swanson before snickering. "Must be fun having to initial paperwork though." He hid the sleeping man in his own motel room, before flashing back to the restaurant and waiting for Alice and the Winchesters to show up. A little eavesdropping here and there can do wonders, and he had been able to find out their planned meeting place fairly easily. Alice would most likely be upset with him for keeping her out of the loop, but he just had a sense that something was _off_. "Something wicked this way comes" he hummed softly under his breath, as he moved to sign in for Mr. Swanson, before taking over a few tables so as to keep up appearances.


	7. The Diner

Alice turned her radio on, drowning out the silence as she drove. She couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous. She glanced into the rear view mirror, looking at her black eye. It certainly wouldn't help with convincing them she was harmless... It was one thing that had a tendency to throw people off, hunters or not, and these two were already suspicious. Within a few minutes, Alice reached the restaurant. Right on time. She parked her truck and climbed out, her bag slung over her shoulder as she locked the doors behind her. She scanned the parking lot for a Black Impala as Sam had described. She saw it, but it was empty. So she was assuming they must be inside. She took a steadying breath and headed inside, seeing if she could spot them.

Damian wore his best poker face as he set down a bottle of cold beer and a tall glass of ice water on the table in front of the men, both of whom muttered a quiet 'thanks', as the shorter one offered him a cheerful grin. Turning away quickly, Damian forced his hands to stay steady and his legs to refrain from giving out as he retreated from the hunters. As soon as they had walked in the door, eyes scanning the restaurant expertly, the demon had realized that these must be the legendary Winchesters. He moved to another area in the bar, relying on the waitress covering several other tables to keep an eye on his while he had a mini panic attack. The demon got a hold of himself in record time, though, and had just gotten to his feet and back into the fray when the door opened yet again, and Alice came through, her eyes scanning the restaurant in a manner identical to that which the brothers had done. _Must be a trait of all good hunters_ , he mused.

After a very brief scan of the different tables, her eyes fell on two men, one taller than the other, sitting at a table that seemed to be a little bit off from the rest. Without hesitation, and wearing a small, friendly smile, she walked up to the two. "Winchesters?" She asked cautiously, wanting to make sure she had the right people. Now that she was closer, she got a proper good look at them. They seemed to be not much older than she was. The taller, longer haired one seemed to be a bit younger than his shorter brother. But, though they seemed relatively young, they gave the impression that they'd both been through more shit than anyone deserves to go through. As she looked them over, she was sure they did the same to her.

"You must be Alice. My name is Sam, and this is my brother Dean." The taller, younger man spoke up, seeming friendly enough. The elder nodded in acknowledgement, his gaze sharp upon her as he sized her up, though both appeared willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. The eyes of both brothers caught on her single black one, and their expressions darkened slightly. Dean spoke then, "There must be an interesting story behind that _Christo_ interesting eye of yours. Care to tell?" When nothing happened, he seemed to relax slightly, settling back in his chair even as Sam shot him a glare. "Be a bit more obvious there Dean, I don't think you've managed to be quite as rude as you could have." His brother just shrugged, offering Alice a friendly grin now that he knew she was not possessed. He signaled to the waiter to come back over and get a drink for their new companion, and a middle-aged man with an oddly familiar rolling gait strolled over, hands trembling minutely, though he was smiling. "Hello, madam. May I get you something to drink to start with?" he asked, offering her a menu.

Alice sat down at the table with the two, looking up at the waiter as he walked over. She noticed the gait, trying to pinpoint why it seemed so familiar. "Um, yeah. Can I just get a coffee please?" She said, looking the waiter in the eye, only for a flicker of a second as she tried to read him. Why did he seem so familiar? She brushed it off for now. She could figure it out later. With a polite smile to the waiter, she looked back at the brothers. "It's nice to meet you two in person." She said with an easy smile. As the waiter got out of ear shot, she continued. "And don't worry about it. I've gotten used to it over the years. Does look kinda unnerving, doesn't it?" She said, smiling a little. "As for the explanation, that's all part of why we're here right now." She said.

Damian suppressed a smirk, feeling amusement at the ruse even through the blinding terror that threatened to consume him. He began pouring a cup of coffee for Alice, while blowing a kiss at the other waitress, who was currently trying to run the entire restaurant by herself. Damian would be the first to admit that he wasn't much of a waiter. She, meanwhile, shot him a dirty look and flipped him off when he blew the kiss. He chuckled, taking the coffee cup back out to the hunters' table, and swallowing back the residual fear as best he could. As he came closer, he could hear the younger brother speaking softly, "... in common then. Yellow Eyes killed our parents as well." Dean nodded grimly, his earlier good mood gone, as he interjected, "And we will find him and end him. For dad, for mom, and for all the others whose lives he has screwed up." Damian set the coffee down before Alice, and retreated a short distance before busying himself with folding silverware, still easily within hearing rang whilst being unobtrusive about it. Though the trio of hunters lowered their voices in response, he was still able to catch most of what was said.

"That's two things we have in common then." Alice said, that dark determination churning in her gut. She stirred a bit of cream and sugar into her coffee and took a sip. "Now, with the recent... events. There is good news and bad news. Bad news is, Yellow Eyes knows who I am, and is clearly after me. I found out, luckily before anything bad happened, that a hunt I'd been on in Walker was a trap set by him. Then, of course, yesterday he shows up in my motel room. Then, I escape his clutches. Now, my guess is that not only did he have a plot to kill me, now he's got a personal vendetta. Either way, I'm a target. Good news is, we can use that to our advantage. It'll come in handy when coming up with a plan to kill him. But, first... We need something that will do the job. Personally, in all my hunting years I've never actually heard of a weapon that can _kill_ demons. Not anything that I knew to be true. However, I do have an idea. Possibly crazy, maybe a bit of a long shot. But if it exists, and if we can get our hands on it, I think we could have a real chance at this."

The brothers shared a look. "Back up a moment. How exactly did you escape Yellow Eyes? 'Cause he ain't exactly known for letting his prey go once he catches 'em." Dean demanded. "If he was close enough to be in your motel room, you should have been down the moment he found you. Since that isn't the case, either you're lying to us and working with him or for him, or there's something you aren't telling us." He leaned forward a bit, eyes dark. "I don't like liars. Never have. And I certainly wouldn't trust them with Intel regarding something so personal to my brother and me."

Alice looked at Dean, holding his eye contact without hesitation. Then, after a second, she sighed. She knew this was coming. "Fine. You're right. There is something else that I can't figure out. I didn't get out on my own. And I didn't just happen to find out that the supposed hunt was a trap. I didn't want to fess up because honestly... I don't really understand it myself. Yesterday, late morning, I was in the library in Walker, researching my case. I'd spent a couple hours on it because there was too much about it not adding up for me to go charge into the hotel head on. When I was approached by someone. They said that someone else had sent them but wouldn't say who. They said that the hunt was a fake set up by the demon that killed my parents. They warned me to stay away. So, seeing as I'm a lone hunter and didn't want to risk it, I went back to my hotel room to pack up my stuff and get outta dodge. That's around the time I called Bobby Singer. A little bit into the early afternoon, that's when Yellow Eyes burst into my room at the motel. I had holy water, of course, but sure as he'll not enough to make any serious damage. In short, I was screwed. Alone, terrified, honestly I was ready to take my last breath. But then... Snap." She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "Everything went black for a moment. When the light came back, I was in the middle of nowhere on some deserted road about half an hour from here. All my stuff was there too. My truck, my books, clothes, weapons, everything. It was all there with me. That was when I called Bobby Singer the second time." She explained. Technically, most of it was truth. The only parts she actually lied about were the messenger and the fact that she didn't know who was helping her. "I know it sounds crazy. Last I knew, people don't teleport on a whim. But I swear, that's what happened. And it wasn't that I blacked out and drove myself. The time between when I was in the motel room and when I was on that highway might have been a total of 3 seconds. The clock was exactly the same."

"How do you know it wasn't Yellow Eyes who did it?" Sam asked, curious and wary as his brother. "It could still be a trap, using you for bait to try to find others. You aren't the only one Yellow Eyes is after. Maybe-" He was cut off, as the man who had been waiting on them stumbled to his feet, shaking slightly, looking like he was about to be ill. "Hey, you okay there buddy?" Dean called out, a bit louder than the hushed whispers the hunters had been speaking in. "W-what?... I'm-m just fine, s-sir. I- get down!" he suddenly snarled. The oldest hunter ducked instinctively at the command, just missing the swing of a knife at the back of his neck. The waitress from the other side of the restaurant stood behind him, eyes black. "Hello Dean. Miss me?" she simpered, before grabbing him by the throat and lifting him out of his seat with supernatural strength. "Dean!" Sam shouted, on his feet with a handgun appearing out of nowhere in his hands, leveled at the demon's head, even as he knew it would do little good. "Meg" Dean managed to snarl, even as he gasped for breath. The other customers in the diner were panicking and running for the doors, but no one was attempting to intervene.


	8. Explanations

**Please, comment and let me know what you think!**

In a split second, 6 years of solo hunting skill and pure instinct took over, as Alice pulled a squirt bottle out of her purse, aiming it at the girl. Without any hesitation, she squirted her in the eyes and lunged towards her, purse still slung over her shoulder. With the holy water in her eyes, the demon's grip on Dean loosened, and with another quick squirt, it released entirely. Alice tackled her to the ground, one hand firmly grasping Meg's wrist, pressing it to the ground, with the other holding the squirt bottle to her face. "Don't move." She snarled. It's moments like this when her eye came with an advantage. People, demons and humans alike, get curious. They stare. And sometimes, that gives her just enough time to get the upper hand. In the split second that Meg had taken to look at her eye, Alice had taken a pair of special handcuffs, carved with devils traps and polished with holy water, and linked them around one of her wrists. In another quick movement, she stood, bringing the demon with her, turning her around, she latched the other cuff to her opposite wrist and pressed her against the wall. "Been a bit of a rough week for me, but I'm feeling generous so how 'bout this. I'm giving you ten seconds to give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you back to hell." She snarled. "Go."

"Well, don't you just know how to give a girl the tingles." the demon grinned wickedly. "But you should really remember to watch your back little girl." Behind her, the Winchesters stood back to back, surrounded by at least 3 other demons, their eyes black, as they pinned the brothers against the nearest wall. Dean snarled curses and threats at them, to which they merely laughed. "Release me. I doubt you'll have time for a full exorcism before my boys eviscerate your little friends here. I have no quarrel with you, and whatever business my father has with you is his own. He will find you in his own time, I'm sure. As for them" the female demon gestured towards the brothers. "Well, this has gotten personal. Now why don't you just run along?"

 _Her Father_. She thought. Yellow eyes? She pushed the thought away for now. She could mull that over later. She glanced back at the brothers, debating for a brief second. She considered calling on Damien... But that wouldn't look very good with the Winchesters standing right there... But, she couldn't let her at the Winchesters. She needed their help. So did she really have a choice? She kept the demon pinned. "I'm afraid I can't let you have them." She said, formulating a plan as she spoke. She closed her eyes for a second, her decision made. She glanced at the Winchesters, knowing that what she was about to do would make things a lot more complicated. "Get them out of here... Please. We need them." She whispered, just enough to be spoken, hardly enough to be heard. She could get out. Probably.

In a heartbeat, angry exclamations from the surrounding demons filled the air. The Winchesters had vanished, and Meg snarled angrily. "Meg, darling, why I haven't seen you in decades! Still running around doing daddy's bidding like a good little lass?" Damian lounged against the wall where the Winchesters had been pinned only seconds before, grinning at the female demon. "You" Meg spat, her loathing nearly palpable. "Father told me what you did, helping this little hunter to escape him, and openly defying him. You really must have a death wish, don't you boy?" Damian shrugged carelessly, his eyes on her even as the lower ranking demons surrounded him, moving in aggressively. "I'd love to stay and chat dear, but I fear it would be detrimental to my charge's health if I did. You'll have to excuse us." Meg lurched forwards, reaching for Alice, but as her fingertips grazed the hunters' cheek, drawing blood, the younger demon and the hunter both disappeared as well, and the female demon's shriek of rage sounded behind them. _Like father like daughter_ Damian mused humorously.

Alice closed her eyes for the split second of darkness that comes with the teleportation. When light hit her eyelids, her hand went to her cheek, feeling the sting of the scratches. She hissed a little, but then forced herself to ignore it. She gave Damien a quick smile of gratitude before turning to the Winchesters. "I um..." She instinctively stepped in front of Damien. "Well that could have gone worse." She said, trying to keep the focus on the positives to distract them from the demon behind her. If they went after him, she'd have to stop them. She watched them both carefully, ignoring the blood trickling down her cheek.

Both brothers already had guns in hand, and Damian couldn't repress a choked gasp at what the elder hunter held. The Colt itself was pointed at him, and he had no doubt that were it not for Alice standing between them, he would be dead already. "Please, I mean no harm!" he said urgently. "Shut up!" Dean barked, and then turned his gaze to Alice. "You wanna explain yourself Thompson? 'Cause that seemed like more than coincidence to me, that no sooner did you show up to 'talk', then did we get ambushed. To say nothing of that demon you have hiding behind you there." Damian looked up cautiously. "Hey now, who said I was a-" Sam leveled his weapon to point between Damian's eyes. "Christo." he interrupted, and the demon flinched back as his eyes went black against his will. "Explain. Now." When Damian made to speak, Dean took a step closer, instantly cutting him off. "Not _you_. Her. Talk, now."

"Okay! Okay." She said, keeping between Damien and the Winchesters. "He can't do anything to you. He's the one who told me about Yellow Eyes, and the one who saved me at the motel room. We." She let out a heavy breath. "We made a deal. More like a mutual agreement. Instead of my soul as payment, it's me protecting him from you two. When we made the deal, Yellow Eyes was already in the motel room. It was either that, or die. So, I agreed. He'd protect me from Yellow Eyes, and in exchange, I'm supposed to protect him from you, or any other hunters that might go after him. He's on our side. I'm sorry I lied to you, but I couldn't tell you the truth. But I will tell you this. If you kill him, there is nothing standing between me, and death. Yellow Eyes will find me again, and he _will_ kill me." She closed her eyes for a second, taking a shaky breath. "Look." She breathed. "We're only here right now because of him. If he hadn't come to help, we'd probably all be dead. Please... Just..." She could feel tightness in her throat, desperation... A fear. Not just of breaking the deal if the Winchesters but... Simply of losing Damien. The Colt would kill him, and frankly, as messed up as it might have been; he was the first friend... The first person she'd been able to trust in 6 years. She didn't want to lose that. "Please don't."

Dean glanced at his brother, who looked back helplessly, his gaze darting between the hunter and the demon across from them. "Dean" he muttered softly. "She might be our best chance of luring Yellow Eyes into a trap. We know he's been after certain people with abilities, but we have yet to find one who would be capable of working with us. Even if she is just a hunter whose parents messed with the wrong demon, who now wants revenge, she could still be useful in finding him." Dean glared at his brother for a moment. "We don't work with demons." he stated flatly. "This could be our chance to end Yellow Eyes! To finally have vengeance for mom and dad! And you want to pass that up on principle?" Sam demanded. Dean glanced at Alice, and then looked at Damian again, before finally turning his gaze back to his brother. With a sigh, the older hunter's shoulders slumped, and he lowered the Colt. "Fine. But if you" he said in a deadly tone, looking back at the demon. "Try _anything_ , and I do mean anything, you'll be dead before your vessel hits the ground." Damian gulped, knowing that the hunter did not issue idle threats. "Sounds fair to me" he murmured, glancing at Alice once for confirmation. "But you should know, this isn't a vessel. It's me. I'm not possessing anyone. When I died, I had made a deal with a crossroads demon to save... someone. I would have had my soul dragged down at the end of ten years, but about a year before my contract was up, I died in a blizzard, and my body froze. It only took about 6 months earth time for my soul to succumb below, and when I got out of the Pit as I am now, I was able to recover my old body, as it was undamaged thanks to the freeze." He looked down at himself. "There's no one in here except me." Looking back at Alice, who had lowered her guard slightly when the hunters had lowered their guns, he asked, "So what now?"

Alice heard Damian's story. The fact that he used his own body was incredible. And made her feel a little better about the whole situation. On top of that, hearing that he was a demon because he saved someone? She couldn't help but feel bad for him, and maybe understand him just a little more. Alice thought for a moment, looking at the Winchesters. "Well... You two have The Colt, and we have the bait." She said, gesturing to herself. "And now I suppose we just need the plan. It's not going to be easy to fool Yellow Eyes... But I think I have an idea... Not sure how well it'll work, and it's going to take a bit of trust on all parties here but... I think we can pull it off." She said. The wheels were already turning in her head. "But it'll only work if we can all promise not to tear each other apart." She said pointedly.

Damian frowned, his gaze upon Alice. He didn't like the idea of her being bait, and while logically it would make sense, and he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, he was concerned. Yellow Eyes was ancient, powerful, and determined to serve the Plan above all else. He wanted Lucifer out of the cage, and he didn't seem to care who was killed in the process. Even though it was rumored that Sam was the Big Bad's true vessel, it seemed that Yellow Eyes enjoyed his games a bit too much, as Damian recalled hearing something about a fight to the death among his favorite humans. When Alice mentioned promising to refrain from tearing each other apart, Damian shook his head, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. They could all be dealt with later. He glanced at the hunters, and only when they disarmed their guns and stowed them back where they had been, did he step out from behind Alice. "You'll have no problems with me, lads. I swear it. Word of a demon might not mean much to you, but I'll give it all the same. If you promise not to try and off me, I'll keep my hands to myself." He grinned, but it was a shallow parody of his usual smiles, as his proximity to not only the Winchesters, but the Winchesters in possession of the _Colt_ had brought back his fear full force. He shot a grateful glance towards Alice then, relieved that she had upheld her end of their deal without even seeming to hesitate.

Alice gave him a subtle nod in return, her lips turning up in the slightest smile before she turned back to the Winchesters. "Now, any part of this plan is up for discussion. Lemme know if there's anything that you two would do differently." She told them. "But this is what I think. Yellow Eye's won't show up unless I'm alone. He probably knows that you two have the colt, and undoubtedly knows that Damien and I made a deal. So, I say we split. Go to different towns. The three of you in one, myself in another. I'll set myself up at a motel, do my own thing. You three do the same, make sure to stay close. Then, we wait. When Yellow Eyes comes looking for me, which he will, all it will take is one word from me to notify Damien that he found me." She looked at Damien. "When you hear whatever that word will be, you get the Winchesters; zap them to the motel I'm in and 'Boom'." She looked at the Winchesters. "You two pull the trigger on the Colt, Yellow Eyes lies dead on the motel floor, and we can all go our separate ways."

The Winchesters looked at each other. "Not a bad plan" Sam admitted. He turned to Damian. "You try to harm me or my brother in any way, you die. You say anything I don't like, anything that might be even slightly misconstrued as trying to turn us against each other, you die. You otherwise anger me or my brother, and guess what? You die. We clear?" The demon's eyes went wide, and he struggled to find words. "Y-yeah. We're clear. We're good." Sam nodded shortly, glancing at his brother, who hadn't taken his eyes from the demon. Damian looked over at Dean as well, but as soon as he caught his gaze, the demon dropped his eyes, trying not to spark a confrontation. "Awesome" Dean muttered, and then raised his voice. "Alright, fine. We'll go back to a friend of ours, who'll be able to offer us shelter until you give the signal. When you do, we'll be there, and be ready. Try not to die in the meantime Thompson." With that, he turned, and began to walk away, only to stop when he realized that A: he had no idea where he was, and B: the Impala was still back at the bar. Damian seemed to realize that as well, and he ducked his head sheepishly, snapping his fingers and bringing both Alice's truck and the '67 Impala to the hunters. "Son of a -!" Dean snarled when he saw his precious Baby. The sides of the Impala were all scratched up and dented, and the windshield had been shattered. "It was probably Meg's minions" Damian said, consideringly, tilting his head as he looked at the car. "Want me to fix it?" The hunter glared at the offer. "Keep your paws and your powers off her. I'll fix her up when we get to Bobby's." The demon backed up again at the glare, then grinned and snapped his fingers again, making the brothers and their car disappear. At Alice's look of surprise, the demon shrugged innocently. "What? They wouldn't have been able to get very far with the car in that condition. I just sent them a lot closer to their destination." Looking at her, the demon could tell that the last few days had begun to take their toll. She looked weary, but still ready to take on the world if need be. "You gonna be alright to do this, lass? Yellow Eyes isn't exactly what one might consider easy prey."

When the Winchesters were gone, Alice let out a bit of a breath. At Damien's inquiry she sighed a little. "Well, I don't think I have much choice. Honestly, the thought of facing Yellow Eyes on my own makes me want to vomit." She admitted, letting out a small laugh. "But, it's the best we've got. I just have to tough it up and work through it anyway." She wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to think about what would happen if things went wrong. In a moment of awful self-torture, her mind brought up the memory of her dream. Her back cracking against that wall, the awful sound of bones snapping. She forced herself to brush it off, putting on a brave smile. "I'm sure I'll be fine. It's a pretty solid plan. I know, I'm a bit of a bitch for sticking you with them, and if I could have avoided it I would have. But it was the best I could come up with. Just... Make sure to come when I call you. Okay?" Her brave smile gave way a little, showing the fear in her eyes.

Damian, for the briefest of moments, considered making an ill-timed jest, but when the human's fear showed through, he sobered instantly. Gently, and slowly so that she could clearly see his movements, he wrapped his arms around her in a hesitant hug, although he let go almost immediately after. "I will not let anything harm you, so long as it is within my power to do so. Yellow Eyes least of all. Be safe, Alice. I will be there when you call." He nodded, giving her a slight grin, and then vanished once again.


	9. Awry

Alice stood there for a moment, shocked at the gesture. She'd hugged him before, but it was a lot different being hugged by the demon than it was hugging him. It was gentle, comforting, and over before she had truly registered what had happened. She gave herself the moment to process it, then another to let her own fear swirl around her. Then, when she'd let herself feel just a little bit of the panic that seemed to want to burst from inside of her, she pushed it away and climbed in her truck. She saw that all her things were there, including what was in the motel. So, she drove off, finding a small town, and a comfortable looking motel. She got herself a room and settled in as much as she could. Though she knew it would do no good, she did her typical set up. Salted doors and windows, devils traps, weapons stashed in convenient places and her trademark of her holy water spray bottle. When that was done, she made some coffee, set up her laptop, stretched her legs out on the bed, and waited. This would be a long night.

Damian reappeared at the outskirts of a large scrap yard, the sign on the fence proclaiming it to be 'Singer's Salvage Yard'. "So this is where the magic happens." the demon muttered, moving forward slightly, and very cautiously. The old hunter was rumored to be nearly as dangerous as the Winchesters, and every bit as paranoid, if not more so. "Singer? Sam? Dean? Hello?" he called out, eyeing the house that came into view as he moved into the yard. The sound of a shotgun cocking behind him made the demon freeze. "Who're you, and what do you think you're doing on my property?" came a gruff voice. "I'm with the Winchesters. I was told to meet them here." Suddenly, the door of the house opened, and Dean came out, carrying a beer and eyeing the demon with distaste. "That's not how I remember it. But hey, at least you showed." Turning to look at the hunter behind Damian, Dean gave him a nod. "It's alright Bobby. 'Though I'd skip the holy water test on this one. Show him." Dean commanded, directing the last sentence at the demon. When Singer moved around to stand in front of Damian beside Dean, he didn't lower the shotgun, but he nodded at the younger hunter's command. Slowly raising his hands defensively, Damian blinked, allowing his eyes to go black. Two minutes later found Damian strapped to a chair, devil's traps on the floor, ceiling, and the chair itself, causing him to go a bit woozy at all the blocks on his abilities. The demon could only hope that the hunters would respond with all haste to dispel the devil's traps as soon as Alice called so that he would be able to respond. He didn't dare try to argue with any of the hunters about his current condition, however. Sam's threats were still too clear in his mind. He sighed, dropping his head to his chest as he slumped in his chair. This was going to be a long night.

Alice did everything she could to distract herself from her fear. But, as time ticked on, all she could think about were all the little things that could go wrong. She hated this plan, even if it was hers. In all her six years of solo hunting, she had never felt so completely isolated. The tick of the clock in the room was nearly maddening. She looked at her clock and sighed. "Come on you Yellow Eyed Bastard. Come get me already." If there was one thing she hated more than the thought of facing him, it was the thought of having to wait there alone. She sighed heavily, getting up to stretch momentarily, then planting herself back on her bed. She checked her emails, again, doing some preliminary research on some small cases, just giving her mind something to do besides focus on her fear. She also thought about Damien. She hoped he wasn't being treated too cruelly by the Winchesters.

Damian struggled to remain still as he felt eyes on the back of his head. Restrained as he was, he was unable to turn and look to see who stood behind him, but he doubted it was Dean. While the man was clearly capable of patience when necessary, he seemed to be otherwise impulsive and impatient when left without something to _do_ for too long. He had also heard the man speaking to his brother as he was being bound, something about 'putting his Baby right'. Assuming he was referring to his car, the demon supposed that the hunter would be working on repairs for some time, as none of them thought that Yellow Eyes would show up immediately to attack Alice. Although, the sudden increase in demonic activity of late was interesting. Perhaps they grew impatient for the culmination of the Plan. Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. "I'm going out, Bobby. I doubt Yellow Eye's will even show up tonight, given that Alice only just arrived. Even he will need time to find her. If you hear anything, once you let the demon free tell him to take Dean and get there, then come find me. Make sure that Alice has backup ASAP as soon as she calls. Top priority. I won't see anyone else die by Yellow Eye's hand if I can help it." Damian cranked his neck back as far as he could reach, though he still couldn't see either hunter. "Azazel." he stated. "What?" Bobby demanded, he and Sam moving closer and then around so that the demon could see them both. "Yellow Eyes. That's his name. I couldn't place it before, but speaking with Meg reminded me. Her father, Yellow Eyes, is called Azazel." The older hunter nodded, and Sam eyed Damian, now more curious than hostile. "Thanks. You heard what to do when Alice calls?" Damian nodded quickly. "Got it. Get Dean and get there, keep her safe, then come get you. Providing that you aren't back yet by then, of course." The young hunter nodded as well, and then caught the keys that Bobby reluctantly tossed him, heading out the door.

Alice finally gave up on distracting herself. Grabbing her favorite dagger, and having a squirt bottle of holy water nearby, she lay down on her back, staring up at the ceiling fan as it turned. She sighed softly. Something was coming. She knew it. Every time she was about to discover a new case, or before something was about to happen, she always got this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, and her head seemed to quiet. All thoughts cleared from her mind until all that was left were her core instincts. Live, breath, survive. Growing up, she'd always been taught to rely on her instincts. That her gut feeling was almost always right. So far, throughout everything that had happened, her gut had been right. Following her instincts, she stood, facing the door, back to the wall. She held her knife in hand, readying herself. Something was coming.

Not bothering with the salted and devils-trap-adorned doors or windows, Azazel simply snapped his fingers, and the very walls of the tiny motel room came exploding outwards. Inside, his prey stood, already holding a dagger and a... spray bottle? "Humans" he muttered, coming closer, and grinning when the girl's face showed fear. "No need to fret, little one. You just must be a late bloomer, that's all. I'm sure you'll have at least a sporting chance." The human only stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What? Your parents never told you? Never mentioned a disturbance when you were 6 months old? Never mentioned what flows in your veins?"

The second the walls caved in, Alice whispered a quiet "Help." Just loud enough to count as being spoken at all. But then the demon spoke. "What the hell are you talking about?" She demanded; she was utterly defenseless next to the creature before her, yet she spoke clearly, with a dangerous sort of confidence. "Late bloomer in what?" She had to keep him talking. Keep distracted. Keep him _there_.

Damian's head shot up, and he instantly began straining against his bonds, the very floor cracking apart, as well as the ceiling, disabling the devil's traps on each. He heard Singer shouting something, but he knew he didn't have time to waste. Breaking the restraints at his wrists, throat, and ankles, the demon used his abilities to shake the chair into pieces, and then finally, _finally_ the last devil's trap holding him was gone. He flashed away in an instant, leaving an astonished Bobby behind him, and reappeared at Dean's side, hauling the hunter up with one hand, and then vanishing again in the next, taking Dean with him.

Azazel tsked lightly, still smiling at his prey. "You'll see soon enough, my dear. You'll see." He raised a hand, then snapped, but as the hunter vanished, she managed to spray him just once, and the demon shrieked in pain as the holy water collided with his face. It was too late, however. Alice was gone. Azazel smirked, and then moved along. She had not been the only one on his list to collect that night, and a certain young hunter had just strayed too far from his brother.

Moments after Azazel's departure, Damian and Dean flashed in. "Alice? Alice!" the demon cried out, terrified for her when there was no answer. What could have happened to her? Where was Yellow Eyes? _I failed her..._


	10. Cold Oak

**Thank you all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed! Enjoy this next chapter!**

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Alice felt her worst fears consume her, wrapped in complete darkness. Yellow Eyes had won. Damian and the brothers hadn't gotten there quick enough. She swirled through the pitch blackness, crying out with a muted voice. She couldn't scream. She couldn't even move. She was purely terrified. Was she dead? Had he killed her? Was this what death felt like? Oh god, what about Damian, what happened to him? And the Winchesters. If he'd killed her, would they be next? All these horrible thoughts and more swirled around like a storm in her head. But then, she felt light on her eyelids. The floating sensation faded and she could feel hard wood underneath her. With a start, and a small shriek, she sat bolt up, her dagger at the ready for whatever waited for her.

"You alright there, lady?" A young man, likely in his late teens or early twenties, knelt beside her. "My name is Jake. Do you know why you're here?"

Elsewhere, Dean paced like a caged lion, rage and helplessness warring within. Damian stood like a statue, his failure to protect the one person that his black heart had come to care about destroying him from the inside out. Finally, Dean turned to the demon, and Damian failed to flinch this time. What was the point? If the hunter killed him now, more the better. It would be one less creature to sully the earth and threaten humanity.

"Where. Is. She?" Damian looked into his despairing eyes, realizing that that same feeling of failure rang true for the hunter. "I don't know. I can't sense her anywhere... I-" The demon shook his head, cutting himself off. "Should I take you to Sam?" The hunter looked at him for a moment, then, his shoulders slumping with defeat, nodded. Seconds later, yet another scream of rage, fear, and denial rang through the night, but it came from Dean this time.

"Where is my brother?" he demanded, Colt leveled at the demon's throat from where he pinned him. "Where's Sammy? You lie and I swear I'll kill you right here, right now." Damian looked up at him, resigned. He had tried to take them to Sam, but the little diner at which the hunter's life signal had come from was utterly deserted, unless one counted the multiple dead bodies scattered throughout. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, depending upon how one viewed it, Sam was not among them.

"It would appear that your brother was taken as well." he muttered.

Dean leaned back. "Can you track him?" Damian was not hopeful, but he still began to search for the volatile hunter's brother's life force. Suddenly, his eyes went wide. A very faint heartbeat pulsed at him, the signal coming from Cold Oak, South Dakota. "Found him. They must not have realized you and Alice made an alliance, because he is not shielded from me like she was." The hunter backed off, standing up again, and even offering a hand to help the demon up. Damian accepted warily, and Dean nodded once, grimly. "Take me to my brother."

Alice quickly surveyed the building before looking back at the young man. She tried in vain to stifle the small panic attack that threatened to bubble up through her throat. For a moment, the utter fear was too much to hold in. "I-I..." Her voice trembled a little. They were too late. Things went wrong. This wasn't what was supposed to happen... "They didn't come." She whispered, closing her eyes as a single tear rolled down her cheek. But then, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She looked up at the Young Man before her. Jake. "It was Yellow Eyes." She said. "But... What does he want? I thought I would have been dead by now." Though she had swallowed her initial panic, as she curled her arms around her knees she could feel her hands trembling.

The young man looked confused. "Yellow Eyes? You mean that stranger who brought us here?" At her nod, he shrugged. "I suppose so. But why would you be dead? I do not know who he is or what he wants, or if anyone else is here, but if he brought both of us, there may be others. Should we go look around?"

Alice closed her eyes, taking a small breath. Then, she scanned the area again. Her dagger was gone, but she still had her spray bottle. Great, Armed with a spray bottle. "We should get some sort of weapon first." She said, standing up. "Think disable, not kill." She looked around the room and found a baseball bat, and a plank of wood. "This will do." She said, handing him the baseball bat and taking the wood for herself. "I'd rather not have someone sneak up behind us without being at least partially armed."

"Good idea." Jake nodded. Then, as they began to move out, he gave Alice an odd look. "You in the army or something? You look like you know how to handle a weapon."

Damian snarled, held by powers much stronger than his own as he struggled futilely. At least he had managed to get Dean into Cold Oak, for it seemed the area was not shielded from humans, but Yellow Eyes had kept watch for errant demons. Damian fought with all his strength for naught. "What have you done to her? If you've hurt her, I swear I'll kill you!" He spat, then screamed in sheer agony as Yellow Eyes flicked a hand and shattered Damian's spine. The sadistic demon simply laughed at the weak threats, and proceeded to torment the traitor for his amusement, as he waited for the victor to emerge from his own little arranged death match. He did so hope it would be Samuel Winchester.

"I'm a hunter." She said simply, keeping her eyes open. If he ever saw Yellow Eyes again, she'd rip him apart herself. "Whatever is going on here isn't good. And what I'm about to tell you will sound crazy and impossible, but it's true. Yellow Eyes, the _thing_ that brought us here, is a Demon. A particularly powerful demon. I don't know what he wants with us, but it can't be good. Nothing to do with him is good."

"Demons?! You're out of your mind, lady! There ain't no such thing!" Jake looked at her in astonishment, but then froze up for a moment. "Shh. You hear that?" At Alice's nod, they both readied for battle, only to stop when another young woman came out from behind one of the buildings, looking frightened. "Can you help me?" she asked desperately. "I don't know where I am or what's going on, but I just want to go home!" While she seemed somewhat sincere, there was something just slightly off in her desperate pleas, and a dark, calculating spark behind her eyes.

Damian had been reduced to a twitching mass of raw flesh, blood, and broken bones in a heap upon the ground. Azazel sneered down at him in disdain, and then turned away. "C-Coward... Azazel. Is t-that a-all you got-" he was cut off by a choking cough, at which he spat up blood. Yellow Eyes turned back, a manic light in his eyes, and as he closed in again, Damian closed his eyes, begging for strength and that he would be able to buy Alice enough time to escape.

Alice looked cautiously at the girl. She held her arm out, stopping Jake from moving forward. She knew an act when she saw one, and she did _not_ trust the other young woman's pleas. "We're both just as confused as you are." She told her. Alice's fight or flight response was on high alert, and she was ready to attack should she need to. Something else was wrong, she could feel it. She didn't know what, but she knew that somewhere, something was very, very wrong. It made her stomach churn. But she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. "But if we work together, I'd bet we can figure out what's going on."

The other young woman's eyes flashed, and she started to lift her hand, but all three humans were startled by a shout of "Hey!" coming from yet another building. Seconds later, Sam came out, looking confused and wary. "Ava?" he asked, upon seeing the young woman, then he looked over and saw Alice, and relief flashed across his face. He nodded solemnly towards her, then turned to the other woman again and began speaking in a low voice, asking what had happened to her.

Alice couldn't help the wave of relief that washed over her as she saw Sam. She watched Ava cautiously. Nothing here seemed right. She led Jake over to the two, but stayed a bit away from Ava. "Either of you know what's going on here?" She asked. "Last I see, the walls to my motel room collapse around me and I'm face to face with Yellow Eyes talking about me being a 'late bloomer' and something about something happening when I was a baby. Next thing I know, I wake up here."

"What, you didn't know?" Ava asked, somewhat disdainfully, her helpless act dropped when Sam appeared. She looked Alice over, appearing unimpressed. "So what do you do?" Sam frowned. "Ava." he remonstrated, glancing at Alice apologetically. "What? It's a valid question. How about you, big guy?" She queried, looking at Jake. He looked at her uncomprehendingly, then his eyes widened in realization. "You mean my strength? I always knew it was abnormal, but you're saying it has something to do with all of this?" The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Mine is visions. I can see things that are going to happen, sometimes. Same as Sam here." The hunter in question had his arms crossed, confusion clear in his eyes, and it was clear that he too sensed something was different with Ava. Again, she turned to Alice. "So, what's yours?"

Alice was confused. "I..." She thought for a moment. Visions? Like... Psychic abilities? She didn't have one. Not that she was aware of anyway. "I don't have one." She admitted, feeling _very_ out of place. Sure, she had really good intuition, but nothing she'd consider extraordinary. She looked at Sam, then back at Ava. "At least I don't think so... What's going on here?" She looked back at Sam, raising an eyebrow. "Clearly this has something to do with Yellow Eyes. But what does he want with a bunch of psychics? Why would he put us here?" _While I'm asking questions, why am I here if everyone else has these abilities and I don't?_ She thought to herself, but didn't mention it out loud.

Sam turned to her, looking at her curiously. "Yellow Eyes said something about his 'Special Children', humans whom he chose at a young age, and altered somehow. Most commonly at 6 months old, if I'm right. I was one of them, and it's the reason he killed my mother. She saw what was happening and tried to stop him, and he killed her. It's the reason my brother and I were hunters all our lives. Although, if you don't have a power, I do not know why you are here." He looked considering. "You said he wanted you dead, right? Maybe he thought that this would be more amusing, watching you be killed by whatever he put here, instead of by his own hand. Or perhaps he tried to do whatever it was to you as well, and was unable to. I think-" he was cut off suddenly as Jake shouted, "Watch out!" as a figure appearing to be a young girl appeared out of nowhere, attacking the tall hunter.


	11. Rescue

**My sincerest thanks again for everyone who's reviewed, read, and/or followed/favorited! Enjoy!**

Alice jumped into action. Using her wooden plank, she jumped forward, thwacking the girl with it. "Get off of him!" She shrieked, hitting the girl hard enough to knock her off Sam. She then stepped closer to the girl, getting between her and the rest of the group. She pointed the wooden board at her. "Stay back!" she demanded.

The girl tilted her head at a very awkward angle, and let out an odd, hissing noise. "Acheri" Sam muttered quietly, eyeing the lower ranking demon with trepidation, his hands twitching for a weapon that was not there. Suddenly, a loud 'thud' was heard, and both Alice and Sam looked back to see Ava on the ground, her neck bent at an odd angle. "She was controlling it! Whatever it was, Ava was making it try to kill you!" Jake said, backing up a bit when both hunters turned to look at him. Sam immediately turned back to the Acheri, but it had vanished when Ava had died. "I... haven't been entirely honest." Jake admitted. "Yellow Eyes talked to me, told me what to do. He said we were all supposed to fight to the death, a last-man-standing type of deal. I want to make it out alive. I have a family waiting for me." The young man looked legitimately regretful, before settling into a fighting stance. "I'll make it quick, I promise."

Alice stared, wide-eyed at Jake. She glanced at Sam, before setting her eyes on Jake. "Nobody has to die. Just... Think about this. It's two against one. Not the best odds for you. Super strength or not, we've dealt with worse. If we work together, we can make it out of here just... We just have to think about this." She said, holding her hands up in the defensive. "Please. Don't do this." Her eyes flickered around the open space, trying to find something they could use to defend themselves with if he did attack, or at the very least, an escape route. She focused hard, trying to come up with a plan, but nothing seemed to stand out. She wished she hadn't been stupid enough to have the others in a separate town. It wouldn't have taken so long for them to get to her. Yellow Eyes would be dead, and none of them would be caught up in this mess.

Damian's vision was starting to go black, and not because of his eyes. Yellow Eyes had finally tired of beating him, had already move on from burning, and was now (loudly) debating with himself whether he should finish off Damian now or not. The high ranking demon suddenly brightened, a malicious smile crossing his face, as he snapped his fingers with a grin. "Of course! How very fitting." Then, louder, he called out, "Come here, boys! Come to daddy!" Damian felt what little blood was left within him rush away from the remains of his face as he paled in fear. Three hellhounds suddenly stood right behind Azazel, growling and snarling viciously, though they refrained from attacking without the demon's command. "Fitting indeed. The death that should have been yours will bring you to the Pit for certain this time. And when I complete my part of the Plan, I shall return to hell and have an eternity to make you beg for the mercy of death for siding with that hunter over your own kind."

Damian was unable to shudder, as most of his muscles had ceased to respond, but then, just before Azazel gave the command to 'kill', Damian heard Alice's voice. She was not speaking to him, that much was obvious, but her words gave him pause. "Nobody has to die..." her voice faded out for a moment, and then he heard, "Please, don't do this." Somehow, Damian found the strength to lift his head an inch or so, and just as Azazel broke the devil's trap that had been holding Damian as Yellow Eyes beat him, to let the hellhounds at him, the gravely wounded demon grinned a bloody and toothless smile, and snapped, vanishing.

He reappeared at Alice's side, collapsing to the ground almost instantly, but he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when he was so close to saving her. The demon barely managed to make out someone's voice crying out "No, wait!" but he knew he was out of time. Reaching out, he managed to grasp Alice's ankle, and with the very last vestiges of his strength, he got them out of there.

Alice barely registered what had happened. The familiar snap of black surrounded her before the light came back, opening up to a meadow. Deep green grass and flowers surrounded them, with walls of trees around them. She looked down at Damian, beaten and bloody on the ground at her feet. "Damian!" She exclaimed, falling to her knees beside him. Her hands hovered over his injuries, unsure what to do. "Oh, Damian..." She whispered sadly seeing the state of him. She pulled off the sweater over her arms, tearing off strips and chunks to sop up blood, and use as make-shift bandages. "Don't move, just lie still. Save your strength." She said. She wasn't happy about leaving Sam behind, especially seeing as he was now alone with Jake... Gosh she hoped he didn't die. But, she couldn't worry about it right at that moment. "What happened to you?" She whispered sadly.

The demon had lost consciousness upon arrival at one of his safe 'houses', but he stirred when he felt someone touching him. "Please, no more. Please." he whimpered, despite knowing that not only were his pleas in vain, but also likely to further amuse and egg on the demon tormenting him. However, the hands that touched him were gentle, and seemed to be... binding his wounds? Why? Did Azazel hope to keep him alive longer still, to prolong his amusement? Time passed and he faded in and out of consciousness. He felt himself beginning to heal, but he could tell that even with his accelerated healing as a demon, it would take time. He thought he could see his hunter's face hovering above him, looking worried, but Damian knew that it could only be his imagination, his mind succumbing to the torture, or perhaps even another trick of Azazel's. He couldn't help but whisper though, as the apparition became blurrier and faded, "Alice… please be safe... I'm so sorry I failed you..." before blacking out once again.

After awhile of working on his wounds, Alice had brought Damian into a nearby cabin. The door had been open, and the area clear. So, after laying him on a bed, she found a large bowl and put some warm water in it, grabbing some more cloths to continue cleaning and wrapping his wounds. When he started waking up a little, she stopped, holding his hand, being as gentle as she could. What he said broke her heart. Even though he fell unconscious immediately after, she spoke to him. "You didn't fail me." She whispered her voice soft. "You saved me... Again. I'm okay, I'm safe. I'm right here with you." She brushed his hair out of his face, then used a cloth with cool water to wipe the sweat and blood from his face. She continued on with cleaning and wrapping. Once everything was covered and cleaned, she just sat beside him, gently holding his hand. She softly hummed a quiet song, softly running her thumb over the back of his hand, hoping to soothe him as much as she could.

Damian heard humming, and it brought to mind old memories just out of reach. Memories of loved ones, people he had cared deeply for and would have died for. Did die for. Wait, no, for the blizzard had found him first. But... Gentle fingers stroked the back of one of his hands, and the demon rolled his head to the side, grimacing in pain as he woke slowly. Blinking several times, he managed to make out a woman sitting beside him. He felt warm, clean, and comfortable aside from the lingering pain still coursing through him. Focusing his eyes, he realized who sat by him, and he instantly tried to sit up. "Alice!" Wavering, astonished at his own weakness, the demon levered himself to sit back against the headboard of the bed in his favorite safe house, and he took a moment to wonder how they had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was being beaten nigh to death by Azazel, and then waking here. "Alice... what happened? Are you alright? Where's Yellow Eyes?"

Alice gently placed her hands on his chest when he tried to sit up, guiding him to lay back. "It's okay, we're safe. Relax, you're very weak. I'm fine." She said softly. "As for Yellow Eyes... I don't know. You were the one who brought us here." She said gently. "This was incredibly reckless seeing how weak you are." She added, giving him a soft smile all the same. "You appeared out of nowhere, grabbed my ankle, and we teleported. We ended up in a meadow not far from here." She gave him a sad look. "What happened to you?"

"What? This?" he asked, looking down at his mangled and broken body. "Nah lass, this is nothing. You shoulda seen me a couple years back in Budapest. Now that, that was worthy of concern." Damian tried for a grin, but it came out as more of a pained grimace, and he did not fight the human when she urged him to lie back down. "Yellow Eyes can be a mean old bugger when he wants to, and it would seem he wanted to. He decided to take a few pieces outta me, that's all. I will live; do not look so worried lass!" The demon closed his eyes for a moment, fighting another wave of pain, and focused. "What happened in Cold Oak? I'm fairly certain that I managed to get Dean in, but Azazel, Yellow Eyes' name by the way, caught me when I tried to come find Sam as well. Was he there?"

Alice let out a small breath. "Well, when _Azazel_ showed up in the motel room... Well... He started out by breaking down the walls. The fell flat around me. He walked in. When I called to you, I tried to stall as long as I could. I managed to get out some things from him; I don't exactly understand what he meant though." She said. "Something about when I was a baby. Something about me being a late bloomer. Next thing I know, I wake up in a building. But I wasn't alone. I um... I found Sam, and he got attacked by a lower level demon, can't remember what they're called but... It was being controlled by a girl named Ava. A psychic. They all had some sort of ability. Sam was there too... Sam's still there." She looked down at her hands, feeling just a little guilty. "It's some sick sort of Hunger Games set up. Last-person-standing fight to the death bull crap. Jake he... He fell for it. So did Ava. I was trying to convince him to reconsider, that if we worked together, rather than against each other, maybe we could find our way out. That's when you appeared and pulled me here." She explained. "We have to do something. There has to be _something."_

"An Acheri, most likely. Looked like a little girl?" Damian murmured absent-mindedly. Then, suddenly, the rest of the hunter's words registered. " _That_ was the stand-off? Yellow Eyes' death match? He placed you as part of it?" Damian demanded, trying again to sit up, only to collapse back once again, choking on his own blood for a moment. He grimaced, spit it out to the side, and lay back, calming. "He said that you were one of them? The Special Children?"

As soon as he'd tried to sit up, Alice's hands were back on his chest, soothing him again. "He um... He mentioned about something flowing through my veins... Something my parent's didn't tell me." She didn't like her reaction to her telling him this. She let out a slow, shaky breath. "Which doesn't sound good. At all." She could feel fear welling up in her chest again and let out a weak laugh, shaking her head. It just never seemed to end.

Damian did not fight against the human's hands, which startled him in and of itself. Anyone else who dared to lay hands upon him in such a manner would have already been writing in pain on the floor, regardless of his own state of health at the time. But with Alice, it did not feel like a threat or command, and it was clear she was not trying to control him against his will, but only wishing to offer comfort and help. He shook off the thoughts, focusing instead on the human before him. "I-may know a bit about this. Please do not be angry with me for it, but I can't tell you everything. Not right now. It would be too great a risk, to you, and to me. This much I can tell you. There have been many children over the past several years, yourself and Sam included, whom Azazel took a... special interest in. He... ah..." the demon hesitated, but sensed that the human would not let him get away with half answers here. "He went to each of the children when they were 6 months old, and... fed them his own blood."

Alice listened intently to what he had to say. As soon as the last sentence came out of his mouth, she felt nauseous. "He..." She closed her eyes, pushing down the instinct to be sick. "And because of that, each of the children has certain abilities." She continued for him. "But for what gain? Why do this to us? What's the point if he's just going to have us kill each other?" She started to think about her own 'abilities'. As she'd thought earlier, she always had impeccable intuition. Her judge of character was almost always right, and her gut always led her in the right direction. But could that really be considered as some sort of demon-blood-induced ability? She shook her head slightly, letting out a heavy sigh. "And if I'm one of these children... What's my ability? There isn't anything about me that's particularly extraordinary. I'm not saying that to down on myself, it's true. There were some there who had visions of the future, or super strength. All of them my age, or even younger."

Damian dropped his gaze, visions of Alice dying by Sam's hand flashing in his mind. "I really don't know for certain, lass. It was always meant to be Sam who won that fight, because both he and Dean have destinies tied to the fate of this very world. If one of the others had lived, I do not doubt that certain... _other_ forces would have taken a hand. I don't understand Azazel's reasoning. At one point, he spoke of having one of his special children becoming some sort of Prince of hell, and another time of that same child leading armies of demons, but to be honest, I never thought them more than ramblings. There is a much greater, much older Plan in place, of which I can tell you little, but it would by far supersede anything that Yellow Eyes had planned." The demon trailed off, freezing up as he felt another of his bones snap back into place. He suppressed a moan of agony, doing his best to hide his pain from the human as his body stubbornly continued to slowly heal itself. "As for you, I do not know, Alice. You have never had visions, or dreams of what was to come that came true? Never noticed anything fundamentally _different_ about you that set you apart? Aside from the abilities that come naturally with hunting for long periods of time, of course."

Alice thought about what he said. Mostly about how if more than one survived that _other forces_ would finish the job. Naturally, she thought of herself. She was supposed to be there... But she wasn't. What did that mean for her? But those were all questions she could ask later. For now, she let out a soft sigh. "I don't know, I guess I've always had really good instincts. Like... With people, I've always been a good judge of character. Or typically during a hunt, I might start off looking into one thing, but despite evidence pointing towards it, I'll have a feeling that it's something else. Usually I'm right. That sort of thing." She said. "Now that I think of it... I was ready when Azazel showed up. Just a moment before, I had been lying on the bed at the motel. Suddenly I felt that something was up, so I took my dagger and holy water and stood up against the wall. A moment later is when he showed up. I'd always seen that sort of stuff as coincidental... But I guess it could be something..."

Damian nodded in consideration. "Aye, it certainly could be. I have never heard of any other humans with so acute a sense of intuition and forewarning. You mentioned that Yellow Eyes said you were a late bloomer... Perhaps these abilities will be increased with time? To the point of power that some of the others reached?" They exchanged thoughtful glances, and then Damian relaxed back against the bed again with a sigh, most of his energy still entirely depleted. "I'm being a terrible host..." he muttered ruefully, grinning weakly at the hunter."You should try to get some rest as well, lass. I doubt the Winchesters will, strictly speaking, _need_ backup, but they could no doubt make use of it nonetheless." He became very serious very quickly, looking directly into Alice's eyes. "It is essential that neither of them dies. If they do, they will set into motion forces that are so far beyond my ability to escape that it frightens me. To your kind, they are mere legends, for it has been an age since one of their ranks has set foot upon your earth, but they soon will again, should one of the Winchesters fall." The blatant fear in his eyes was different than that which had shone through every time he had spoken of fear of the Winchesters or Azazel. This was a much more instinctive, primal fear, laid into his very core as what the demon within recognized as a much more powerful, ancient _enemy_. He felt his strength waning yet again, and began to succumb, murmuring, "I will heal as quickly as I am able. Then we must save the Winchesters. At any cost."

Alice nodded gently, absorbing what he'd said. She could see the exhaustion setting in. "It's okay. Rest." she said softly, pulling a blanket over him. "The more energy you spend on talking, the less gets put towards healing." Once again she smoothed his hair out of his face. "Don't worry about me; I'll get rested up too. Just lay back, relax, and get some sleep. I'll wake you if anything happens." She promised, giving him a soft smile.

"Shouldn't, here. I made the wards myself. Even the Big Bad himself wouldn't be able to get in here without making quite a racket..." he muttered, as he drifted into a deep, healing sleep.


	12. The Plan

Hours later, the demon startled awake, eyes going black without conscious thought. Something had just happened. Something _bad_. A swooping feeling of glee and celebration swept through him, but it was not his own. It was a resonance from his kind. Something had occurred that caused this feeling of joy throughout the forces of darkness, and if Damian was not mistaken, it had something to do with the Winchesters. Careful not to disturb Alice, who he could sense sleeping peacefully in the next room, the demon extended his returning abilities with trepidation, only to almost faint in shock when he could not sense Sam's life force at all, and only a yawning maw of grief and despair from Dean.

"It has happened then..." Damian murmured horror and fear filling him with equal measure. If only he could... but no, there was nothing he could do. It was not within his power to bring Sam back, and even if he could, it would take a soul-contract to draw enough power to do so. He would not take an innocent soul, even to save Sam. _And since when do I care about innocent souls?_ He wondered. _Am I even a demon anymore, that I should care for humans?_ Alice's presence in the next room invaded upon his mind like a tangible force, and the demon sighed, slumping. It was for her sake that he had begun to care for humanity at all, but as time had passed, he found himself vested in the future of the race that had once been his own. Suddenly, Sam's previously non-existent life force flared back into being, just as strong as before, if not stronger, but the waves of joy and glee did not cease, and Damian paled at the implications. So Dean had made a deal already, but not with him. "What am I going to tell Alice? What are we going to do?" he murmured softly, trying to get to his feet, wavering, but already in much, much better condition than he had been the previous day.

Alice had slept peacefully for a few hours, but then she started to stir. A few moments after Damian had woken up, Alice sat bolt upright in the bed. Though her sleep had been peaceful, she woke up with tears rolling down her cheeks. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She didn't know what, but considering the earlier events, she didn't like it. She stood, padding barefoot to the room where Damian was. She knocked softly on the door. She felt her stomach churning, her heart racing. All were terrible signs. "Damian." She whispered, her voice trembling.

The demon heard Alice's voice, and, not bothering to move to the door, opened it with his newly regained abilities, not bothering to change his eyes back from their demon-black. He was much too concerned with what had just happened, but as he was about to inform Alice, he noticed that the hunter was already shaky and ill at ease. "Lass? You alright?"

Alice stepped into the room, shaking her head a little. "Something's wrong." She said softly. "I haven't felt this horrible about something since the night before my parents died... Something is very wrong. I think it has to do with Sam, I can't think of what else it would be. I just..." She took a shaky breath. "H-He was left alone there; he had visions, not something that would help him much in a fight against someone with super strength... Wh-what if he..." She couldn't bear to finish her thought.

The demon dropped his gaze, avoiding her eyes. He bit his lip, debating, but finally decide that in this, at least, he could tell her the truth. "You aren't wrong..." he admitted, gazing down at his hands, his eyes blinking back to blue."Sam... he died." At the human's gasp, the demon looked up, sheer misery in his eyes. "He didn't stay dead, lass. No need for you to feel guilty. Dean has already taken action. I can feel it. It would seem he has but ten years left on this earth now." Damian looked down again, swallowing heavily, knowing that he didn't need to elaborate further for the hunter.

Though he had done all he could, the demon still couldn't help but feel as thought this was his fault. If only he had been a little bit faster or stronger. If he could have distracted Yellow Eyes longer. If he had told the whole truth the Alice and the Winchesters and hoped that all the forces of heaven didn't descend upon him for disrupting the Plan by revealing it before it's time. If he had died in Sam's place. If he had managed to kill Yellow Eyes before this entire disaster had begun. If, if, if. "There is little we can do now... But Yellow Eyes yet lives, and I doubt either brother would let something as insignificant as death stand between them and their goals. If we are to make any difference in this war, we should go to the Winchesters now, and do all that we can to aid them in finally slaying Yellow Eyes once and for all." He struggled to remain on his feet, leaning against the wall for balance, as he waited for the hunter's decision. Whatever she chose to do, he would stand behind her. His loyalties now lay solely with this lone hunter standing in front of him.

Alice sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Shoot." She whispered. 10 years was not a lot of time. She forced away the automatic sense of guilt, trying to ignore the Shoulda-Coulda-Woulda's and focus on where to go from there. "We slept here peacefully while Sam died." She said softly, opening her eyes. "I can't blame you for that, you were injured, and you needed the rest but... I could have done something. I'm not about to make that same mistake again. We have to help them take down Yellow Eyes... If they even let us. They might hate us, and honestly, I wouldn't blame them. All the same, I'm not about to give them the choice. I still want to be there when that Yellow Eyed asshole takes his last breath." She said. Whether she was pulling the trigger or not made no difference to her. She just wanted to see him fall. "Are you okay to travel?" She asked, seeing his still unsteady state.

"Sure thing lass" he nodded sagely, and then proceeded to fall over, only just managing to catch himself on the edge of the bed. "Maybe." he amended. Getting to his feet again, he glanced over at the hunter, quietly asking, "If it's not too much trouble, I'd be grateful if you could lend a hand." When she did so without question, generously offering a shoulder for him to lean on, the demon snapped, instantly flashing them to the Winchesters' location without a second thought.

Alice held him up as the snap of black faded to light. She scanned the area, and when her eyes fell on both Sam and Dean, she could already feel the tears well up in her eyes. She expected the worst from them both. Yelling, accusations, hell, she wouldn't be surprised if she ended up with a bullet lodged deep somewhere in her. But, she was prepared for it all. "I'm sorry." She whispered to them, her voice trembling in a way that told them she knew exactly what had happened. "I'm so sorry." If she hadn't been holding up Damian at that moment, she would probably collapse to her knees. But, with the Demon's arm slung over her shoulder, she found the strength to stay standing.

The brothers looked over at the duo in surprise, not even bothering to raise their weapons, but Bobby, who stood beside them, as well as a middle aged blonde woman, both had a shotgun and handgun, respectively, pointed at them. The Winchesters' eyes roamed over the two, taking in Damian's injuries and Alice's state of concern. Dean stepped forward, and Damian couldn't repress a flinch, expecting torture from the hunter, if not death, for his failure. Instead, the demon was left to gape in shock as the hunter ducked under his other shoulder, helping to support his weight from the other side, and helping him to limp over to the table upon which rested a map, marked with five red X's. Sam looked at both of them, and then at his brother in suspicion. Dean shot them both a warning glance, and then looked at Alice.

"None of this was your fault. You hear me? None of it. It was all Yellow Eyes, and if you want to make it up to me, help us take him down once and for all. Now stop with the chick flick moments." he muttered gruffly, moving away from Damian after he helped the demon to sit, his hands, so easily capable of killing or causing harm, having been inexplicably gentle. Sam looked between his brother and Alice, still clearly suspicious, but remained silent for the time being. He did nod a greeting to both Damian and Alice, however, so the demon, at least for his part, felt that there may be forgiveness to be obtained. Then, the blonde woman stepped forward, having not once lowered her gun, and said, "Christo." Damian's eyes went black, and the woman startled, clearly preparing to fire, when not one, but three bodies moved to stand between her and the demon.

Alice watched this all unfold with a little bit of shock. But, Dean was right. She took a deep breath to calm herself. By the time the blonde woman raised her gun, and Alice and the others stepped in the way, she had pulled herself together. "Don't." She said simply to the woman. "Yes, he's a demon. But he's also on our side. He's saved my life more than I'll ever be able to repay. So if you want to get at him, you'll have to deal with me first and I'm not in the mood for a fight right now. So let's just look at this with a little bit of logic. Dean Winchester just helped a demon limp to a table to sit down. Clearly, there must be a reason for that. Right? So let's put down the gun and focus on the real issues here." She went and sat beside Damian, looking at the map. "Dean's right." She said. "So, fill us in. What's happened so far?"

"Jake _wounded_ Sam." Dean said, an odd emphasis on the word, but neither hunter nor demon was foolish enough to contradict him. "It appears that Yellow Eyes therefore decided that, as the last man standing, Jake was his victor. We believe that these churches" and here the hunter gestured to the map, "are each the five points of a miles-long devil's trap." Damian looked over the map with a light of recognition in his eyes, and then turned to look at the older hunters, two of whom were still eyeing him suspiciously. Though Damian could hardly blame Singer for being suspicious. He did sort of owe the man a new house, or at least new flooring. "A devil's gate." the demon corrected softly. They plan to open it, using it as a gateway, literally, into hell."

Looking up, the demon realized that he had just confirmed the fears of the hunters. Looking around the table, no one made any move to stop him, so he continued. "Obviously, Azazel couldn't get in, as the devil's trap prevents it. But those with only a little demon blood in them, such as Jake, could do so. If he has a powerful enough motivation from Yellow Eyes, he will undoubtedly open the gates, releasing all that has been held within for thousands of years. I've been there, lived it. That is one of the last things you want to have happen. Trust me." None of the hunters looked inclined to argue. "Alright, so we go in, kill Jake, find and kill Yellow Eyes, and everyone goes home happy." Dean stated, the prospect of being able to _do_ something clearly appealing to him. When Damian made to struggle to his feet again, however, the hunter's hand landed heavily on his shoulder, and the demon froze up, anticipating pain. The hunter's hand remained gentle, however, merely resting there in a cautionary gesture. "Sorry buddy, but you're gonna have to sit this one out. Even if you could get past the devil's trap, you're in no fit shape to be fighting again, demon or not."

Alice was silent for a moment, letting it all sink in. She got that terrible feeling again. How could this possibly work? Every part of his plan had gone through nearly perfectly so far. Clearly he'd been planning this for a very long time. How were a handful of hunters supposed to help? She brushed the thoughts away. This was no time for self doubt. She looked at Damian. "I think Dean might be right." She told him. "You're too weak, you can barely stand. If you try to face Azazel like this... It would be suicide." Then she looked at Dean. "That said, if we're going to do this, we're going to need a really well thought out plan. 'Kill Jake and Yellow Eyes' sounds easy enough in theory, but it'll be a lot more complicated." She looked at the map, pointing at one spot directly in the middle.

"If I were to build a gate to hold back terrible monsters in the middle of a devil's trap, this is where I'd put it. That would be our best bet to wait. The problem will be getting there. Azazel will sense me there, I can almost guarantee it. Seeing as I deserted his little game, he's probably really pissed. I hate to think of being the bait again, but I think that I would make for one hell of a distraction. I can go in one direction, get his attention, and hold him off as much as I can. Something tells me that he'll take his sweet time with me. While I'm doing that, the rest of you head for the middle. Jake will be there, I'm sure of it. Between the 4 of you, you should be able to put him down."

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, the blonde woman looked troubled, and surprisingly, it was Bobby who spoke up first. "That's a fool idea, Thompson, but it's crazy enough that it just might work. I can't say I'm alright with you being the bait here though, and going through tortures like what Yellow Eyes is likely to put you through. There would be almost no chance of you surviving." The brothers stayed silent, eyeing her in consideration, and finally Bobby turned to the other woman. "Ellen. Back me up here. We can't just let the girl go in like a sacrifice. It ain't right!" Ellen looked between the two for a moment, then glanced at the Winchesters, who seemed willing to let Alice make what choice she would with no judgment either way. "The girl's a hunter, Bobby. Same as you or me. She wants to throw her life away on a hunt, I can think of none better than the one to finally down Yellow Eyes." Damian remained silent, his face impassive. When it appeared that no one would further challenge Alice's plan, the demon struggled to his feet, shrugging off Alice's offer of help. He stumbled back a few steps, eyes darting from hunter to hunter, and then, without a word, he vanished. Just before he disappeared, he looked right into Alice's eyes, and gave her one last, sad smile. Then he was gone.


	13. Desperate Measures

Sam's eyes widened, and even Bobby and Ellen looked startled at the demon's sudden disappearance. Dean alone looked unsurprised, but not angry. Considering. "How do you know that he isn't going right to Yellow Eyes, right here and now, to tell him where we are and what exactly we're planning?" Ellen demanded.

Alice closed her eyes for a second. "Because we made a deal." She said softly, feeling her eyes sting and a lump grow in her throat. The look he'd given her had completely broken her heart. "He chose to protect me against Yellow Eyes. In return, I protected him from other hunters." She took a bit of a breath, standing up from the table. After all he's done to protect her, now she wanted to go on a suicide mission and throw it all away. She didn't blame him for being upset by it. But she had to. If it meant killing Azazel, she'd do it with a smile on her face. She just hoped that he'd be able to forgive her for it. She faced the group, pushing away the fear and the utter heartbreak. As much as it all hurt, she needed to keep moving. "That's it then. We should get ready. Can anyone take me to my truck? With any luck it's still back at the motel."

Dean looked at her, eyes narrowed. "Me and Sam can take you. But you might want to double check with that demon of yours. That didn't look like the look of someone who surrendered. It looked a lot more like the look of someone about to do something awfully stupid to me." Sam snorted softly, giving his brother an amused, if still confused, look. "And you would be the expert on that Dean." the younger hunter muttered. "What do you mean?" Ellen asked, still wary and distrusting of the demon. "I mean that if that last little _look_ of his meant even half of what I suspect, Thompson's little pet demon isn't going to allow his hunter to die like that lying down." Dean said, levering himself to his feet with a sigh. "We should probably get going if we want to save that moron from himself."

Damian eyed Ruby, his deep hatred and disgust for the female demon and her part to play in the Plan well hidden beneath his usual easy-going guise. "Well now, lass. I have a favor to call in, I believe." She narrowed her eyes, unfooled. "Yellow Eyes has offered quite the prize for your head, Damian. I consider my debt to you repaid simply by not having already turned you in." He tilted his head, smiling, his injuries concealed under a glamour, even as he struggled to remain upright. "Look, it isn't even that much, what I'm asking, and then your debt to me will be paid in full, and we'll be square, yeah? I just need you to work a bit of your witchcraft, that's all." The witch-turned-demon continued to glare suspiciously, but then demanded, "Just what did you have in mind?"

Alice thought for a moment, to be honest it was a little suspicious that he'd just left. As Dean had been starting, she started to feel her heart rate pick up. Something was happening. She nodded once, decisively, then walked a little way away from the crowd. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Damian." She said, just loud enough that he'd hear. "Please... I can't do this...Not without a proper goodbye... Please." What she'd said was true. She had planned on calling to him before heading from the motel.

Damian waited in the center of the circle made of questionable substances, wondering if Ruby would attempt to betray him. _No honor among thieves_ , he thought to himself, though he said nothing aloud. In moments, it was finished, and the female demon staggered back, her powers greatly drained from the powerful spell she had just cast. "Listen, we're square now, and if I ever see you again, don't think something as petty as _sentiment_ will keep me from killing you or handing you over to the highest bidder." she spat.

"How do I know it worked, lass?" he asked, feeling his stomach swoop uncomfortably when his teeth began to re-grow within his jaw, and he struggled to keep the glamour up. Ruby rolled her eyes, before quickly drawing a rudimentary devil's trap, careful not to accidentally trap herself within it in the process. "Try it" she urged, and Damian gave her a suspicious look, before stepping within. If she had lied, he was now trapped, and would likely be handed over to Azazel without further ado. Taking a breath, he began walking forward, and kept walking, right out of the trap. Extreme discomfort washed over him when he passed the border, but he was able to force his way through regardless.

"Thank-" he looked up. Ruby was gone. "You... Never mind then." he muttered. Taking a breath, the demon stretched slightly, grateful that while most of his fine motor functions were still beyond reach, he could now (mostly) stand and walk without needing a crutch or a rest every few seconds. Struggling to motivate himself, the demon did not look forward to what had to be done now. The heartbreak on Alice's face when she saw him leave had torn at the remains of his soul, and he was greatly sorrowed that she now believed him to have turned his back on her, but he knew that this needed to be done. The human did not deserve to die so painful and ignominious a death. She was too pure, too good, too light. It was much more fitting that a creature of darkness died for this cause, than one who had dedicated their life to the saving of others. Yes, it was better this way. Steeling himself, Damian prepared to teleport, when the hunter's soft voice called.

"Pit, Alice..." he muttered. "I don't have the power to spare for this" shaking his head, he projected his voice to the hunter regardless, remaining away while he spoke, knowing that if he saw her in person, it would make what he had to do 100 times harder. "Alice, I have found myself considering you as not only an ally or contract over the past few days, but a friend. I cannot, _will_ not allow you to throw away your own life for vengeance. Yellow Eyes needs to die, I know, but not at the cost of your life. I will miss you, lass. Be well, and tell the Winchesters not to be late, yeah? Be well." That said, he took another breath and then flashed away to the center of the devil's trap, right to the location that Alice herself had pointed out on the map. "Evenin' Az. Beautiful night, no?"

Alice paled, hearing his voice, hearing what he'd said. "Damian. No... _No_ You can't!" She shrieked, then turned to the Winchesters, in an obvious panic. "We need to go. NOW." She demanded. "Damian he... He... He wants to take my place as the distraction. Yellow Eyes is going to kill him... He won't hesitate... Oh god he's gonna die. We have to go!"

Sam looked up at the panic in her voice, Dean already halfway into the Impala. "What are we waiting for?" The three hunters were all inside the old Chevy and it had already torn off like they were being chased by a pack of hellhounds, when another vehicle pulled up beside them, only just managing to keep pace with Dean's insane driving. Bobby and Ellen shared a glance with the Winchesters and Alice, and then settled in for a long drive, the two cars full of hunters racing down the road through the night. In record time, they managed to make it to the designated location, and Sam finally voiced his wonder, even as he grimly loaded up his handgun with rock salt, and double checked the Colt's ammo. "How did Damian get here? How did Yellow Eyes, for that matter?" Dean looked up and ahead, and gasped slightly.

A huge, gaping maw of darkness swirled from the entrance of some sort of structure, and all manner of dark creatures and souls alike were pouring forth. "I suppose that might have something to do with it. " he muttered. "We seem to be a bit late." Sam, no fool, had already worked out what his brother had done for him, and what Jake had done to make such a sacrifice necessary, despite Dean's efforts to distract him. So it was with rage and righteous fury that Sam was out the door and on top of the other man almost before the Impala had stopped. The human imbued with super strength didn't have a snowball's chance in hell. As Jake pleaded for mercy, Sam stabbed him repeatedly, a mad light in his eyes. Azazel's 'victor' died screaming.

Meanwhile, Dean and Alice had started for the gate, intending to do whatever it took to force it closed, when they were distracted by a gargling noise off to the side. Even Dean, the hardened hunter who had seen horrors unimaginable to most men, paled in horror at the sight that met his eyes. A figure that appeared as though it may have once been vaguely human-shaped dangled limply from Yellow Eye's hand. Choked sounds emerged from what had been a throat. "You...lose... heh..." Azazel's face darkened in fury, and in a fit of rage, he threw the figure hard, and it flew several yards through the air, landing in a heap on the ground. It did not move again.

Alice felt as though a knife had been lodged deep in her heart. "DAMIAN!" She screeched, knowing exactly who the mangled mess was supposed to be. Knowing they had no chance in closing that gate, she sprinted to the pile of flesh and blood, hovering her hands over it, her heart shattered into a million pieces. "Damian, no... No please no... " Six years she'd spent alone. In six years, he'd been her only friend. The only one she'd found herself fully trusting. The only person she'd seen care about her since her parents deaths. And _he_ took that away from her. She looked towards Azazel, her eyes dark. The searing pain in her chest starting an all-consuming fiery hatred. "YOU." She snarled, standing. " _YOU!"_ She said again, her feet moving her forward without her command. "You kill my parents, cause me suffering, insomnia, complete and utter solitude for SIX YEARS. Now this? I'll kill you. I'LL KILL YOU!" Logic left her, consumed by pure hatred. She lunged towards him, the intent to kill in her very soul. She'd rip him apart with her bare hands if she had to.


	14. Alive

**Thanks again to everyone who has left a review or followed/favorited! It's always greatly appreciated!**

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Even Azazel's eyes widened for a moment, surprised by the human's raw, reckless fury. However, he recovered enough to catch her as she flung herself at him in inarticulate rage, his fingers digging into her throat, cutting off her supply of air and blood in the same way he had done so to Damian just moments ago. "Foolish human" he chuckled. "Did you really think any of this was about you? I chose you as one of the children because you had potential. Your parents? They chose to come after me, trying to exorcise me, and deserved their fates. Him-" Yellow Eyes gestured carelessly towards Damian's crumpled form, his face twisting into a wicked smile of purely sadistic glee. "Well, killing him was just plain fun."

He would have continued, heedless of Alice's desperate struggles, but was temporarily distracted by Dean taking aim with the Colt. The hunter was a fraction of a second too late, though, and the gun was torn from his hands by the demon's power, coming to land in Azazel's free hand. He threw Alice to land beside Dean, then lifted and pinned both to nearby trees with his powers, turning to aim the Colt between Dean's eyes. "And as for _you,_ your family has caused me more than your fair share of trouble."

His eyes focused in eerily on the hunter's own, and he was a hair's breadth from pulling the trigger and slaying Dean then and there, when one of the souls that had been escaping hell suddenly diverted course, wrapping itself around Azazel and dragging the demon from its chosen vessel's body and holding it for a moment. The soul coalesced into a human figure, and Dean's eyes widened in shock when he saw his _father_ struggling with Yellow Eyes. In the background, Bobby and Ellen struggled to close the gate while everyone else was distracted.

Alice could feel the edges of her vision start to blur as they were both choked against the trees. She struggled, her lungs desperately trying to grasp for air, her heart pounding against her chest as it tried to pump blood in vain. When she'd been thrown to the ground, something had cracked. Perhaps not broken, but certainly painful. Through her desperate fight to survive, she watched the sight before her with desperate curiosity. When the man took a hold of Azazel, His grip on both Alice and Dean let go.

Alice gasped for breath, slumped at the roots of the tree. After a brief moment, she noticed the colt lying on the ground a little ways away from Azazel's vessel. Without hesitation, she scrambled towards it, snatching it up amid the scuffle. Azazel managed to knock the other man off of him, and returned to his vessel, standing back up and once again facing Dean, but Alice stood behind him. "Hey!" She shouted, causing the demon to turn to her. She wore a dark, vicious, victorious grin. "You dropped this." She said, aiming the Colt between his sickly yellow eyes and pulling the trigger. Her aim, of course, was true, and a bullet lodged perfectly right in the middle of his forehead.

The demon's eyes flashed a glowing orange, the lightning-like flashes spreading through his body, flaring on and off, revealing his skeleton as the demon was not sent back to hell, but killed permanently, ended once and for all. Dean, gasping for breath as well, and still partially in shock at seeing his father's soul, managed to catch Alice's eye, and nodded. "We did it. It's finally over." he muttered, then looked up just in time to see a large body slam into his. Sam embraced his brother fiercely, grateful beyond words that Yellow Eyes had finally died, and that Dean was as of yet, among the living. Bobby and Ellen, for their part, finally managed to slam the gates shut, the loss of Azazel's powers and influence decreasing the resistance enough for the older hunters to seal it off again, ceasing the flow of demons and souls into the world.

Meanwhile, heretofore unnoticed by all parties involved, the bloody mass of flesh upon the ground twitched.

As soon as the bullet had been sent from the Colt, Alice had collapsed onto her hands and knees, gasping for air. Once she'd regained a bit of circulation, and had gotten over the shock, she numbly moved over to Damian's mangled body, sitting on her knees beside it. "It's over." She whispered to the horrible mass. She gave what had once been her friend a broken smile, tears starting to run down her cheeks as she let out a choked laugh. "Shoulda seen the look on his face." She said, her broken smile cracking as she let out a small sob, covering her mouth with one hand as if to block off the sound of it. "Oh Damian." She whispered, letting her head drop, bowing limply.

"It...was...priceless...lass..." Damian managed to gaze up blearily with his one remaining eye. Any flesh that remained on his face was so swollen and disfigured that it was nigh impossible to tell, but he seemed to be making an effort to smile. Then, his eye closed again, and he went so utterly still that were it not for the very slow, very shallow movements of his chest indicating labored breathing, he would have seemed entirely dead.

Alice's eyes snapped open, finally seeing the signs of life within the mangled mess. "Oh my gosh." She whispered, once again starting to hover her hands over his numerous wounds. "You're alive." She continued her hushed tone before remembering that the rest were there. "He's alive!" She said, starting to lay out his twisted limbs, doing what she could to put him into a position where his parts were where they were sort of supposed to be. She bundled him up, laying his head on her lap to support him, trying to aid his breathing. "Don't speak, just breath Damian. Just keep breathing, that's all you have to do." She whispered, placing a gentle hand on the one place on his face where there was skin.

"Holy..." Sam stood in utter shock, staring at the mangled mass of flesh. "He's alive?!" Dean and Bobby demanded simultaneously. Ellen moved forward first, however, quickly kneeling beside the other hunter and testing his vitals. "It has to be the demon. There's no way whatever poor soul he was possessing is still alive. What I don't understand is, why didn't he just smoke out instead of suffering all this pain?"

Even as she spoke, however, she was tearing up strips of one of her tank tops into long, thin strips and beginning to attempt to bind up some of the worst of the wounds, though it was more like piecing together Frankenstein's monster than bandaging wounds at this point. Dean began to explain Damian and his 'vessel', as Sam moved to help move the demon's remaining limbs and body as needed to aid the others in trying to put him back together.

 _Pain. Pain. Pain. Darkness. Pain. Well, I've already been to hell and back, literally, so this can't be that. It feels more... coherent. Pain. Pain. What on earth happened? Was it on earth? Pain. Hunters... no, Yellow Eyes... Pain. Pain. Broken. Blue eyes. No. One blue, one black, like his own. Hunter. Ally. Friend. Safe. Alice. Pain. Pain. Pain. Alice, safe? Yes. Yellow Eyes took the bait... He took me... Pain. Pain. Pain. Darkness._


	15. Healing

Alice gently cradled Damian's head, her one hand light as a feather against his cheek as she lightly brushed over it. "It's okay." She whispered to him, hoping that he could hear her. "Just hang on, you're going to be okay." She did the best to ignore his blood seeping into her jeans. He was alive, that's all that mattered. He'd be okay. They'd all be okay. She let her eyes close, silently begging, pleading, praying to anyone who might be listening, for any sort of help, for any sort of hope that he'd heal, that he'd pull through. She couldn't see him die. She just couldn't. "Please..." She whispered to Damian. "Please just hang on."

Several long, tense minutes passed, with no definite end in sight. Either the demon would die... or he wouldn't. Finally, Ellen sat back, brushing her sweat-soaked hair back from her forehead, and leaving a trail of the demon's blood in its wake. "He will most likely make it. I doubt if he has held on this long, that he will just up and give up now. Even if he did, he'd just end up back in hell. Might take him a while to get back out, what with his helping us, but he wouldn't be gone for good like Yellow Eyes."

The woman paused, considering. "Then again, it may be better that he doesn't move back down. I doubt his own kind will be happy with his betrayal, and they would not let him escape for as long as they could manage, each trying to get their pound of flesh." She sighed, muttering under her breath about what her life had come to that she was going around trying to _save_ demons.

"Like I said, I think he'll make it now. You should get him somewhere safe, somewhere he can heal in peace, without having to worry about protecting himself, or you." At the startled looks pointed her way, the hunter snorted. "Think I'm blind, do you? I saw the looks this demon was shooting her, and if ever I've seen anything resembling love in a demon's eyes, it was then." Rolling her eyes, Ellen pushed herself to her feet, moving back over to the truck.

"Need a ride home, Bobby? I need to get back to Joanna Beth." The gruff old hunter shook his head at the offer, waving for her to go along. "I might as well tag along with these boys, and they can let 'I-don't need-backup-I'll-just-go-take-on-Yellow-Eyes-myself' over here heal up at my place. Ain't no place safer, and if I put the devil's traps on things harder to destroy this time, maybe we will be able to get him to stay put long enough to heal."

Alice felt her cheeks heat up at Ellen's statement. For a moment, she stared silently down at Damian. _Love?_ She thought. Was it possible? She shook away the thought, looking up at Ellen. "Thank you." She said softly. "For helping him..." She glanced at both her and Bobby, along with Sam and Dean. "For everything." She added. In that moment, as she looked back down at the broken, but breathing demon, she came to a frightening conclusion. Whether or not it was possible for him to love her, she wasn't sure... But it was _dangerously_ possible for her to feel so about him.

The drive to Bobby's was silent, but not uncomfortably so. They had won a major victory that day, but it was just one battle out of the war. Yellow Eyes was dead, but the cost was steep, and the thought consumed both Sam and Dean's minds as they mulled over the deal Dean had made to save his little brother. Bobby knew that all kinds of messed up things had taken place over the past few days, not the least of which had to do with Dean, and Sam's 'wounds'. The demon currently laid out across the backseat of the Impala, feet over Bobby's lap as his head was cradled by Alice was another story as well. And yet, in that moment of triumph, relief, confusion, fear, and bewilderment, all the old hunter could think was, _I'm getting too old for all of this..._

 _Pain. Warmth. Pain. Light. Pain. Alice. Safe. Alice. Pain. Safe. Comfort. Safe. Alice._

Alice gently smoothed her fingers through what remained of Damian's hair, holding him so that he didn't move too much when they went over a bump or a patch of rough road. There was so much swirling through her mind. Azazel was dead, Sam was alive, but Dean had sold his soul, Damian was alive, but barely. She'd killed Azazel... That one repeated in her mind a few times because it was so difficult to really believe that she was the one to pull the trigger. What would come next? Obviously this wasn't the end, only the beginning. But, in that moment, the main concern in her mind was keeping Damian as comfortable as possible, giving him every chance to survive the healing process.

When they pulled into Bobby's in the wee hours of the morning, Damian's major arteries had sealed up, and his dislocated legs and shoulders seemed to be stitching themselves together, though he had yet to regain consciousness. Dean turned off the car, then wordlessly opened Alice's door, helping her to ease the demon's body out of the car, where Sam helped to take the weight of his legs and lower body, and Dean and Alice supported his shoulders and torso. At the very least, the body was now recognizable as just that, a body. They brought him inside, gently and carefully, while Bobby went ahead and opened the doors for them, guiding them to a spare bedroom with a full bed in one corner.

The hunters carefully placed the demon down upon the bed, taking care not to jostle him in the slightest, and then the Winchesters and Bobby retreated, sensing that Alice wanted to be alone for a time, regardless of her gratitude towards them. All three male hunters were exhausted, and had been stretched to their utter limits over the past several days, and so each contentedly, wearily collapsed into their beds and was asleep in a heartbeat.

In the still of Damian's room, the shattered shards that had been a human soul began to move to form together as they had not in over a century, and the demon within began to slip in earnest at the loyal, selfless sacrifice freely offered.

Alice sat in a surprisingly comfortable chair in the spare room, setting it up beside Damian's bed. Despite her exhaustion, and the pain from somewhere along her spine from being thrown quite hardly to the ground earlier, Alice fought off sleep for awhile. She sat silently, holding his hand delicately as she watched his body slowly start to heal himself. "You really scared me." She whispered, though knowing that he was deeply unconscious. "I really thought I'd lost you for a while there. Honestly, after everything that's happened these past few days.. I don't think I could have handled that. Seeing you like this... I never want to have to see you in pain again." She admitted softly.

She knew she might as well have been talking to herself, but still. It felt good to say these things out loud. "But that's behind us. For now, you just rest, sleep, heal. And um... Try to wake up soon." She let out a trembling sigh, then, just as she had back at his 'safe house' before, she started humming to him softly. She fell asleep like that, curled up on the chair, still holding his hand.

Damian felt warm. Almost comfortable save for the pain that continually tore through his ragged, mangled body, and the demon marveled. Only in hell had he felt such pain before, and after he had met Yellow Eyes in the cemetery, he had expected to awaken back in the Pit. Instead, he could just make out a soft humming, and he tried to chase it, tried to follow it, but the noise faded after a time. "Ugh..." he groaned, almost without noise, and he was dragged, slowly and in agony, back into consciousness. Opening his one 'good' eye, and the other that had only just started to heal from where Azazel had gouged it out, Damian could see only darkness at first. Blinking, he began to make out the shape of a body in a chair next to the unfamiliar bed on which he lay. Alice.

She was safe, unharmed from the looks of it. It had worked. He had done it. The demon felt a heady wave of relief and joy at the sight of the hunter, alive and well, and his grip instinctively tightened in her own, grateful beyond words that she was safe, even as he went back under again, his body much to damaged to remain awake any longer.

Alice's sleep was light at first, but as the hours ticked themselves away, she fell into a deeper sleep, exhaustion taking over her subconscious need to be there for him should he wake up. She finally started to stir about another hour after he'd first come to. The first thing she noticed was the uncomfortable position she was in, curled up in the chair. The second thing she noticed was that she was still held Damian's hand. She opened her eyes, slowly adjusting her position, stretching and cracking her back in the process. When she was a bit more settled, she went still again. The only movement as she sat silently watching over him was her breathing and the gentle stroking of her thumb over the back of his hand.

Damian opened his eyes, looking around the unfamiliar room in fear. Where was he? Had Azazel brought him here? For what purpose? Suddenly, he noticed Alice standing beside him, her face blank. "Why did you do it Damian?" she demanded coldly. "Do what, lass?" She snarled, her face twisting into a mask of hatred. "You betrayed me. You left me when I needed you the most, and you tried to side with Yellow Eyes. I hate you. You're a monster, and monsters need to be put down." She lifted the Colt.

"Lass, please, let me explain" the demon pleaded, but there was no mercy to be found in her cold eyes. "Nothing to explain, demon. Goodbye." She pulled the trigger, and Damian felt his life flash before his eyes as the bullet approached. He woke at Bobby's house with a gasp, still unable to move much because of his dire injuries. Alice sat beside him, a concerned look on her face, but it didn't register with him at first. Still caught in the terror of his dream, and greatly disoriented because of his wounds, the demon flinched back from the woman, wondering when the mask of concern would fall away to reveal the cold demon hunter inside.


	16. Comfort

**Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed! (Damian heals faster with more reviews! Ha ha no. I'm evil :) )**

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Alice looked at Damian as he stared, terrified, back up at her. "Damian." She said softly, cautiously reaching out to touch his face, but stopping part way, her hand hovering over him when he flinched away. "Damian, hey... Hey..." She shh'd him softly, letting her hand rest gently on the edge of the bed instead. "It's me, it's just me. I'm not going to hurt you. Whatever it was, was just a dream. Just a nightmare. You're safe... It's okay, you're safe." By the fear in his eyes, she could tell the nightmare must have had something to do with her.

Damian struggled to find words, trying to comprehend what was happening. Part of him wanted to recoil in fear, to plead for mercy, while the other insisted that it was unnecessary, that Alice would never hurt him. He tried to move away, but his body was in no fit shape to cooperate, and he could do nothing but lie there and tremble, all of his abilities currently working towards saving his life by healing his injuries. He was helpless. "Please, Alice, please! I did not betray you lass, I swear it! I would have died first! Please, please..." he trailed off, his vision going dizzy for a moment as he almost blacked out again, then refocused. "Alice? What-?" he trailed off, confused and frightened without really understanding why. "Please..."

Alice kept her voice soft and her movements gently. "Hey, hey... Easy." She said soothingly, gently placing her hand on his arm. "You're okay, you're safe. Azazel is dead. We did it, we won. We're safe now." She assured him. Very obviously, the nightmare he'd had was about her. This broke her heart, seeing him this frightened. "You just had a nightmare, take a breath, you're alright. Just breath, relax. I'm not going to hurt you, nobody is going to hurt you." She brought her hand up to his cheek, then smoothed his hair away from his still healing face.

The demon's body was tense as a bowstring with his fear, but when her hand gently brushed against his cheek, he relaxed. He felt his fear drain away as she brushed his hair away from his face, and he began to realize what had been nightmare and what was real. Taking the hunter's advice, he took several deep breaths, calming down, and fighting the waves of pain and darkness that threatened to overwhelm him. "Alice... where are we? Are you safe here?" He managed, wondering if he would be able to muster the strength to get her away to one of his safe houses if they were in an insecure location. Part of him absently wondered if he should protest the gentle hand running soothingly through his hair, but it was currently the one point of feeling throughout his body that was not tearing agony and he could not find it within himself to pull away.

Alice gave him a soft smile, nodding. "Yes, we're safe here. We're in a spare room at Bobby's. And I promise you, we're as safe as we can be. Azazel is dead." She told him, continuing to sooth her hand through his hair. "We did it. We got there on time, killed him and closed the gate." She felt a bubble of pride flow through her, knowing that they'd managed it, especially knowing that she'd pulled the trigger. "You gave us the time we needed."

He released a sigh of sheer relief, melting back into the bed, the words giving him greater comfort and peace than he would have believed possible. "I can remember... a bit. I was mostly gone by then, but I saw him... moving towards you and Dean. You... you killed him?" Damian grinned widely, or as wide as he could with his face still damaged so severely. "You're my hero lass" he muttered in amusement, the relief at Yellow Eye's death making him giddy despite his severe pain.

Alice let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, I figured it was about time I saved your ass for once, seeing how many times you've saved mine." She said with a warm smile. "I saw him drop the colt and... Frankly I couldn't pass up the opportunity." She told him. "I'm mostly happy that you made it through... You really started to scare me there for awhile." She looked down at her feet for a moment, the image of him falling into that awful mangled pile was burned into her memory. She looked back up at him, smiling softly. "I'm glad you pulled through."

The demon huffed out a laugh, cringing at the pain in his diaphragm at the same time. "Me too, lass. But I'm made of tougher stuff than you thought, apparently." He gave an approximation of his usual cocky grin once again, gratified when it coaxed a reluctant grin out of the hunter in return. "I'm glad you were able to take him down, Alice. Now, you are avenged upon your parents, and you will be finally be safe..." Damian trailed off, paling slightly. "Yellow Eyes is gone... You are safe... So now our deal is... void..." the demon looked beyond disappointed, moving right into 'heartbroken' territory, if demons could feel such a thing. Visibly steeling himself, he nodded, trying to get himself under control. "It's probably for the best anyway. You don't need the rep having a demon following you around would bring. As soon as I can, I'll just get going and get out of your way. You won't ever need to be bothered by me again..." he muttered, looking as though it were the last thing in the world he wanted to say, but saying it nonetheless, knowing that with Yellow Eyes gone, Alice would be much safer if she didn't associate with demons, especially ones wanted by their own kind.

Alice saw the hurt and heartbreak in his eyes, and for a second, she felt the same. But then she thought it over for a moment. "Wait just a second." She said, shaking her head just a little. "No, I don't think so. You're not getting rid of me that easily." She said. "Yellow Eyes is dead, sure. But I'm the one who killed him. I can only assume that his goons will be after me before long. Who said I'll be safe? And besides, the deal was, your protection for mine. I can only imagine that I won't be the only one with enemies now." She couldn't help but smile a little. "And besides, who said I want you to leave?"

The demon looked up at her in surprise. "You... want me around? You're a hunter. I'm a demon. I feel as though we've already been over this, lass. Even if you and I have managed to get past most of the issues regarding our species, why would you want me near you if not to keep you safe from Yellow Eyes? I know you are fully capable of handling yourself against lower level demons, as you have so aptly proved over the years with holy water, salt lines, devil's traps, and exorcisms." He tried and failed to tilt his head, his muscles far from healed enough to move even that much. "But hey, I can't say I wouldn't enjoy the company. If you don't mind, that is. There is a great deal of darkness in this world, not the least of which just escaped from that hell gate. If you take no issue with a demon as a hunting partner, I'd be up for a fight or two by your side, lass." He grinned, then promptly passed out again, his energy depleted once more as his body slowly and painfully worked to put itself back together.

Alice couldn't help but smile down at him, even as he'd blacked out. "I'd be thrilled to have you on my side." She whispered to him. She hardly even gave it a second thought as she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, then brought the blanket a little higher over him. She then stood up and headed for the door, figuring the others would be awake by now. "I'll be back soon. Promise." She whispered before leaving, letting the door open a little bit. She went out into the kitchen, which was empty. Instantly, she went to the cupboards to make some coffee. She tried to be quiet, just in case the others were sleeping. Making her way around the kitchen was a little difficult, as her back was quite sore from being tossed so carelessly by Azazel. She silently cursed his now non-existent being, stretching her back a little and letting out a soft groan. She was also almost certain that her throat must be at least a little bruised.

"Trouble sleeping?" Bobby's gruff voice was quieter than usual, as the old hunter stood in the doorway, arms crossed. He eyed her for a moment, then asked, "You need a patch-up job? That demon didn't just scratch you, did he?" At Alice's reluctant agreement, the hunter sighed, then reached up into one of the cupboards and procured what may have once been a first aid kit, but was now altered considerably for a hunter's needs. "You need help with this, or do you want to do it yourself?" he asked. From the way the younger hunter was moving, he was sure that there was severe bruising, if not fractures in her back. Her voice had also been off, likely from damaged vocal cords. If nothing else, ice packs and powerful pain killers would be a big help. She also had bloodstains all over her jeans, though whether that was from the demon they had saved, or injuries of her own that she had yet to notice was debatable.

Alice glanced down at herself. Admittedly she was quite a mess with her blood stained clothes. She was almost certain that the rest of her looked pretty awful. "I can manage most I think." She said, surprised by the realization of how hoarse her voice sounded. She cleared her throat a little. "There's um... Something with my back though; don't know what it is. I must've landed wrong. Falling asleep on a chair probably didn't help with that." She admitted with a half-hearted smile. She appreciated Bobby's kindness. It'd been awhile since she'd been taken care of, and the help he was offering with Damian was a huge blessing.

The old hunter moved closer, handing her a couple of prescription-strength non-drowsy painkillers, and finding a glass of water for her, before moving to his freezer and taking out several ice packs. Handing one to Alice after she took the painkillers, he said, "Best hold that to your throat for now. The painkillers should start kicking in soon, and then there's not much for it but to wait. I'll take a look at your back now, if it's alright with you." At her nod, he moved behind her, gently lifting her ragged and bloody shirt enough to get a good look at her damaged back, his touch skilled and professional. He felt the skin, ignoring her wince of pain as he searched for any indication of a fracture in her spine.

"Good news, Thompson." he said, sounding relieved after a moment's inspection. "Doesn't look like anything's broken. Bruising already looks nasty, but that'll heal on its own within a week or so. The muscles are probably torn a bit too, happens when a body gets thrown into a hard surface with inhuman force." He moved away again, gathering the first aid kit and empty glass, and putting them away. "Happened to an old partner of mine during a wendigo hunt a few years back." he reminisced. "No heavy lifting or overexertion for at least a couple of weeks if you want that to heal up right. Oh, and give these to your demon." he added, tossing the bottle of pain killers to her. "I don't know if they'll help or not, but it's worth a shot."

Limping slightly, the old hunter left the kitchen, tossing a final bit of advice over his shoulder as he departed, "And get some sleep Thompson. On a real bed this time. You look dead on your feet." With that, he was gone, presumably ignoring the still-brewing coffee and all it implied.

Alice held an ice pack to her throat as he spoke, nodding in response. She took the pain killers when she was told. As he left, she gave him a nod of thanks. It was very good news that nothing was broken. She let out a soft sigh, looking at the bottle of pain killers and the pile of ice packs. After a brief moment, she got up, taking her bag to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror for the first time since Azazel had snatched her from the motel. She was truly a mess. Dried blood ran down her cheek from getting scratched, her throat was bruised, her shirt and jeans were stained with blood... And Bobby was right. She looked dead on her feet.

She let out a soft sigh at her appearance, locking the door behind her. She peeled off the bloody clothes, leaving them in a pile on the ground. Using a wet face cloth, she wiped away as much blood as she could from her skin, not wanting to bother with a shower. Then, finding an extra set of clothes in her bag, she got dressed again. Finally she pulled out a brush, sorting through at least some of the tangles. When she looked in the mirror again, she looked much less dead and just more tired. So, dressed in some simple pajama shorts and a fresh T-Shirt, she returned to the kitchen, getting a glass of water and the pain killers for Damian. Before going to his room, she found another spare, setting the ice packs down on the bed, along with her bag and the soiled clothes. Then she took the water and pills to Damian's room, sitting back down on the chair and gently placing her hand on the demon's forehead. "Damian." She said softly. "Damian, wake up."

The demon's eyes opened immediately, pure black throughout, and they stared up blindly for a moment, before he blinked a few times, waking up in earnest, and his eyes turned back to blue. "Lass?" he croaked, half asleep and in pain. "You alright? Did something happen?" he asked, more awake now, struggling to sit up, though he only managed to shift about an inch before falling back with a gasp. "And I thought I was hurt the first time..." he muttered softly to himself.

Alice gently helped him, propping him up gently with a pillow. "Everything's fine. I just um.." She started, keeping her voice soft as to not wake anyone else. "I went to clean up my own injuries and stuff and Bobby gave me these." She pulled out the bottle of pain meds. "Not sure if it'll help but.. I figured it was worth the shot." She said, taking out a couple for him. "Might help you sleep a little better."

"Aw, lass. For me? You shouldn't have." he grinned, his face having healed enough while he slept to actually allow him _to_ grin. He tried to lift his right hand to take them, but his humerus, ulna, and radius were still each in about five different shards at the time, with the muscles and skin over them torn and mutilated, so he didn't have much success beyond it twitching. "I hate to ask lass, but if you wouldn't mind..." he trailed off, embarrassed at his own weakness. "I may need help." he said quietly.

She smiled softly. "I figured so. I don't mind." She'd seen the sad state of his arms, and knew right off the bat that he'd need help. She brought one pill to his lips, dropped it in his mouth, then helped him take a sip of water to wash it down. Then she did the same with the other. "You're looking a lot better you know." She noted. "Two eyes, I think your nose is reforming pretty well, and the left side of your face is starting to look a lot more like a face." She couldn't help but smile a bit. "I think within the next few days you should be walking again."

"Thanks lass. Truly." he smiled gratefully. "Here's hoping, anyway. I'd like to be back on my feet asap." He relaxed a bit as the painkillers took effect with his higher metabolism and healing rate, and he sighed in bliss as a fraction of the pain seeped away. Much less distracted now that the consuming pain was reduced, the demon suddenly looked up at the hunter in concern. "You're hurt, Alice? Azazel caused you harm?"

Alice shook her head dismissively. "Nothing serious. Just some bruising here." She put her hand to her throat. "And Bobby thinks it's just bruising on my back. A little rest and some ice packs and I'll be fine." She assured him. She picked up the ice pack she'd brought with her, holding it to her neck. "Especially the ice packs." She added with a good-humored smile. "Don't worry about me, just focus on your own healing. You've got a lot more to worry about than I do."

His eyes had darkened when she told of her injuries, and then a determined light came into them. "I'll be healing fine with time, lass, but per our deal, I may be able to do something about your wounds." He tried again to lift his arm, failed, then twitched his fingers to touch her hand, which had rested beside him on the bed. A look of concentration passed his face, and then, a cool sensation spread from where their hands connected. Within seconds, Alice was entirely healed, and Damian was panting with exhaustion, even that small amount of power enough to wind him. "There ya are, lass. Good as new." he grinned, then looked at her more closely. "You still look out of it though. You should get some sleep, Alice. I doubt I'm going anywhere anytime soon."

Alice brought a shocked hand up to her throat, the soreness was completely gone, and she could feel the pain had dissolved from her spine. "Damian." She whispered, gob smacked. She was about to go off on him about wasting his energy on her, and how he should have used that power on his own injuries, which were much worse than her own... But the smile in his eyes that seemed to come with her being healed... She couldn't bring herself to take away that little happiness. So instead she just smiled lightly. "Thank you." She said sincerely. "And you're right. I really should. I've got a spare room just beside you." She said, pointing in the direction. "If you need anything, just shout." She let out a soft breath, moving her hand to delicately take his. "Really though... Thank you, for everything."

"Now lass, what did I do? You're the one who killed Yellow Eyes, and is playing nursemaid for me. I should be thanking you, if anything." That signature grin of his was back, and as he leaned back and let his eyes close, pure contentment radiated from him. "Sleep well, Alice." he muttered, drifting off to sleep himself.

Alice let out a soft sigh, unable to stop the small smile on her face. "Well..." She whispered as to not wake him. "Thank you all the same." She gave his hand one final gentle squeeze before letting go. She left the door open just a little, and headed to her room. She brought all the ice packs back to the freezer, as she wouldn't need them anymore, and returned to the room. Without hesitation, she turned off the lights and lay down in the bed. Within seconds, she was fast asleep. For the first time since the case of The Chase first came up, she allowed herself to sleep deeply. Mercifully, her sleep was dreamless. She slept well into the next morning.


	17. Improving Relations

Dude, give it back!" "No way, it's mine now!" "It was on _my_ plate!" "Yeah, and now it's not!" "Jerk!" "Bi-" "WILL BOTH YOU IDJITS PIPE DOWN!" There was little sleep to be had the following morning, and Damian groaned as he awoke, even while smiling in amusement at the lively argument clearly taking place in the kitchen. Judging by the smell of bacon and eggs, someone had decided to make breakfast, and then steal some of said breakfast from his brother's plate. The demon wistfully sniffed the air, then considered calling for a plate of his own, but decided against it. Technically speaking, he didn't _need_ food, but it would be good for his physical vessel's healing. And it smelled wonderful. There was that to be considered. But risking the temper of the hunters just for a meal would be unwise, however jovial they sounded now. He would survive. Hopefully Alice would make it out of bed in time to snag a bite or two, before the Winchesters and Singer scarfed down the lot. Judging by the formidable size of the brothers, it was unlikely that they would leave much for leftovers. _Something_ had to fuel all that muscle on the moose. Mooses? Meese? Whatever, he decided. And Pit but did that bacon smell delicious...

Somewhere amid the arguing, Alice found herself finally waking. Letting out a soft, tired groan, she sat herself up, looking around the room. For a moment, she was confused at the unfamiliar room. But upon hearing the Winchesters arguing over breakfast, she remembered where she was. She could smell breakfast in the kitchen and her stomach grumbled faintly, reminding her that the last time she'd eaten was just before sitting down at the Library to research the Chase. She stretched a little, then got out of the bed. After quickly making it, she headed into Damian's room first. She could eat after checking up on him. She knocked gently so if he was awake, he'd hear. But if not, then he wouldn't be awoken. "Damian?" She called softly.

Hearing his favorite hunter's voice, Damian perked up. "Come in, lass. What's up?" Alice entered, and the demon glanced at her in clear approval. Having been fully healed the night before, and slept well all night long, the hunter appeared in prime condition, and it made Damian happy, knowing that Yellow Eyes had fallen with no permanent effects upon her, at least. "What do you need?" he asked, wondering why she had come to him so early, and was not down eating with the other hunters.

Alice gave him a bright smile. After the healing last night, and the good night's sleep, she was feeling much better. It'd been quite awhile since she'd been in this good of a mood. Yellow Eyes was dead, her parents avenged, and she got the pleasure of making the bastard take his final breath. Felt like a win to her. "I just figured I'd peek in, check up on you." She said, sitting in her chair. "The guys made breakfast apparently, so I was wondering if you'd want me to bring you up some? I know that technically speaking demons don't _need_ to eat, but I figured your body might appreciate it." She offered cheerfully.

His eyes widened, but he smiled gratefully at the offer. "You should eat first lass, as you need it, but if you wouldn't mind bringing me a plate when you've finished, I'd be most grateful." Stretching, then marveling that he could, the demon eyed his body, experimentally moving one limb at a time as he tried to discover how much he had healed overnight. At this point, his lungs, heart, liver, and small intestine had healed entirely, and the rest of his internals were well on their way to being completely recovered. His left arm was still entirely unresponsive, but he could now lift, and partially manipulate his right arm. His legs and feet remained shattered, but they were there, so he couldn't complain. Looking back up, he grinned. "Just about there, lass. I'll be on my feet in no time. Go on and eat now. I'm not going anywhere just yet."

Alice nodded. "It's good to see you getting better." She said. "I'll bring you up a plate.' She told him, giving him a bright smile. "I'll be back up in a few." She reached over and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before leaving the room. She headed downstairs, an extra bounce to her step as she headed to the kitchen. "Good Morning." She said to the group, looking at the three of them. "I see we're all getting to be a bit back to normal." She grabbed a couple of plates from the cupboard. "Damian's awake, but still bedridden. Good news is, he has a face again. Bad news is, his legs are still mashed. But he's in a better mood than yesterday I think." She said, starting to put some food on each plate.

The three hunters looked up, degrees of relief on each face. Surprisingly, none of them seemed overly concerned by the demon in their midst anymore, though his willingness to undergo tortures nigh unto death to protect her obviously was a major determining factor in their estimations of him. "Good" Bobby spoke. "Get him back on his feet. Might be useful to have one of their kind on our side." Even Dean did not protest, despite it being him who had first been adamantly against anything to do with Damian that had not been planning his death. Over the short time they had known him, the demon had proven as trustworthy as was possible for one of his kind, and even the Winchesters seemed to hold him in some small regard. "Me and Sammy were about to bring him up a plate, or did you plan to?" the older brother asked, gesturing to a heaping plate of eggs, bacon and toast that had been set to one side.

Alice couldn't help but smile a little. It was clear that they'd started to warm up to them, which she was very happy to see. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it." She said, setting down the extra plate. "I can take it up, told him that I would. Besides, his arms aren't quite functional yet so he'll probably need some help. If you wanna come up and say hi I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Nah, go on ahead Alice. I don't know if he'd be comfortable with that much company just yet. And we aren't blind, you know. He still fears us to some degree. He doesn't need that kind of stress while he's healing. But do give him our regards, please." Sam said, smiling slightly at the female hunter as she went. Then he turned to his brother, and in an undertone muttered, "At least this way, he won't have to worry about _bacon thieves_ either." "Shut up"

"Alright, I will." Alice said, and let out a small giggle, shaking her head at the brothers as she headed back upstairs with Damian's plate, a fork and knife in her hand. She softly tapped on the door. "Hey you." She said, walking in. "They set this aside for you." She said, setting it on the bedside table before helping him prop himself up against a pillow. "They were all happy to hear that you're healing so well so far." She said, sitting down. "Figured you might want some help with eating since... Well... Your arms." She said, glancing down at them. One of them was almost fully rebuilt... But still obviously very weak.

The demon's eyes widened in shock. " _They_ did? As in, the Winchesters literally set aside some of their own food, to give to a _demon_?" He couldn't comprehend it. Just days ago, they would have killed him on sight, and now they were not only willing but actively sharing their food? With _him_? He was so awed that he almost missed the last few words Alice said, but when they sank in he startled. "Oh... I, um... Yeah. If you don't mind, that is. I would try myself, but..." he trailed off, limply flopping his left arm, while his right could only twitch a bit.

Alice couldn't help but smile, setting the plate of food on her lap, cutting off a piece of egg for him. "I think they're starting to warm up to you." She said, grinning a little. "Not that it's difficult to." She brought the fork up to his mouth, letting him take the bite off before repeating the process. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit." She noted, bringing him the next bite.

Damian flushed slightly, embarrassed at having to be hand-fed like an infant, but grateful for Alice's tact and generosity in helping him. "I give credit where credit is due lass. I'm just a demon. Not much due here." he muttered between bites. "Thank you, truly. This goes above and beyond what I could ask, and I am grateful." he added, as she helped him take a drink of the glass of orange juice she had brought up with the plate. After he had finished his breakfast, he looked down at his mangled body again, then glanced at the door consideringly. "I don't suppose... That is, did Sam or Dean seem to be in particularly good moods? As in, they _probably_ wouldn't kill me outright if I asked for a favor?"

"Actually, they seemed to be almost functioning members of society, rather than murderous hunters." She said with a small smile. "I'm sure you'd survive it." She told him, setting the plate down on the bedside table again. "Want me to call them up?" She offered. She was curious about what he wanted to ask them.

The demon hesitated, looking between Alice and the door a few times, then hunched his shoulders what little he could, and nodded. "If you would, lass."

Alice nodded, but noticed his hesitation. "Hey." She said softly. "Remember, our deal was double sided. My protection for yours, remember? That still holds true. They won't lay a finger on you." She promised him, giving him a soft smile. "And really, they're not that bad once you get through the tough hunter shell. I'll be right back with them." She told him, giving his hand a soft squeeze before taking the dishes downstairs.

"Hey." She said to Sam and Dean. "Damian wants to ask you two something." She told them, placing the dishes in the sink. "Before we go up um... Just be delicate. I can tell he's still terrified of you two, so if you could just show him some kind of proof that you're not going to kill him, I think it would do his nerves some good." She kept her voice low. She felt bad for the demon. Completely helpless, entirely unable to rely on himself, and stuck in a house with the two people he feared.

Both hunters looked surprised at the request, but they nodded regardless. "We won't hurt him without cause. So far, he hasn't given us any reason not to trust him. He has nothing to fear from us, so long as he doesn't try to betray us." Sam said, the curiosity burning in his eyes mirrored in his brothers. Dean said nothing, but nodded agreeably enough. They moved up the stairs, knocking on the door to the spare room in which the demon lay and waited for his answer before entering.

"C-come in" Damian called, then cursed his voice for being so shaky and subdued. As the hunters entered cautiously, the demon paled, struggling to keep his irrational fear in check. "Hey" Dean said, surprisingly softly. "It's ok. We ain't gonna hurt you for no reason, ok?" Damian nodded, but his eyes remained wary and fearful. "Alice said you had something you wanted to ask us?" Sam questioned, keeping his hands in sight and his movements slow to try to put the skittish demon at ease. Damian considered changing his mind, apologizing for wasting their time, and leaving them be, but he wanted out so badly it was like (another) physical pain.

Unaccustomed to remaining indoors for any time longer than an hour or so, the demon felt incredibly cooped up having been inside for nearly 24 hours, even if that had been inside of a car for half of it, and sleeping the other half. He had always found peace outside, whether it was in the warmth of the sunlight or the cool reassurance of moonlight, and he craved it now more than ever, helpless and trapped as he was feeling. "I-if it's not too much trouble, I wanted to ask if you would be w-willing to help me get outside?" he whispered, feeling foolish and ungrateful after everything the hunters had already done for him.

Alice had followed them upstairs, more for Damian's comfort than anything. Her heart nearly broke at his request. Of course, it made sense. He'd been able to travel so freely for so long, being so tied down must be driving him nuts. "I'll grab you a coat." She said, answering for the brothers. Besides, if they wouldn't carry the demon out, though they had no reason not to, she'd do it herself. She quickly went to her room, grabbing her own coat. Which actually wasn't always her coat. It had belonged to her father, and would easily fit the demon, at least enough to wrap it around his shoulders. She quickly returned to his room, moving to his side before any of the three had time to react. She helped him sit up a little, wrapping the jacket around him as best as she could before looking back at the brothers, giving them an expecting look.

Sam shook himself out of the shock first. Of all the things he could have asked, this was not what either would have anticipated. "Of course, yeah." the younger hunter said, moving slowly to the side of the bed. Dean grinned a bit, "Yeah, a little sunshine'll do you good, sunshine." Damian looked up at them in surprise, after quietly thanking Alice for the coat. "Thanks, lads." he said, slightly less frightened at their easy acceptance. "I'd do it myself, but I'm afraid most of my abilities are still geared towards healing me." Dean ducked under one shoulder and Sam the other, the hunters careful not to jostle his still-healing body as much as they could as they levered him to his feet. Steadying him, they gently helped him to limp down the stairs, over 90% of his weight taken by the hunters, though they still gave him the illusion of walking to spare his dignity, if nothing else.

Once they had gotten him outside, the brothers helped him over to an old lawn chair that had been left in the yard, and helped him to sit without causing him any further pain, a feat in and of itself, considering how damaged he was. Looking up at the two beings he feared most on the earth, Damian managed a sincere smile of gratitude. "Thank you both. I know you owe me nothing, and one of my kind should have been dead by your hands long ago. Your kindness will not be forgotten."

The hunters just shrugged off his thanks, smiling a bit themselves, before Sam headed back inside, and Dean went around the back of his house, lamenting loudly the whole way about the remaining damage to his 'Baby'. While the hunter had managed to replace the windshield in the interim between the hell gate and Yellow Eye's fall, and Sam's death at Jake's hands, the scratches and dents remained, and the hunter planned to remedy that that very afternoon.

Alice had followed them outside, letting out a heavy sigh as she sat herself down on the grass behind him. She looked up at him. "Did you forget everything that happened yesterday?" She asked curiously, raising a brow at him. "I mean it would be understandable if there was some damage done to your memory. Honest and true, do you remember _anything_ about what happened? Or for that matter, what went on the past few days? Because I have a feeling that my recollection of the events must differ _immensely_ from yours." She let out another heavy sigh, looking up into the blue sky. "Because you seem to be so enamored by the thought that you are some disgusting lowly creature that doesn't deserve respect or kindness. But all I've seen of you is a kind, respectful person. Loyal, friendly, not to mention willing to give his life, on multiple accounts, on some random hunter. I see the man who stepped in and warned me rather than letting me walk into a trap. I see the man who then proceeded to offer me a deal that was much more to my benefit than his, completely disregarding his kind, betraying everything he knew for one girl. I see someone who then lets himself get tortured for god knows how long just to give me a chance of survival against a bunch of much more powerful psychics. Then, despite his own bone crushing injuries, uses his last bit of strength to once again save my life. And when I try to return the favor, the very next day you do the same thing. Damn near getting yourself killed so that we have a snowballs chance in hell at walking away unharmed. Damnit Damian, you have done _so much_ for us and you write it off like it's nothing. You give and you give and you give and want nothing in return. Someone thanks you and you just redirect it. I just..."

She shook her head, looking down into her lap. "I don't understand how someone who is so wonderful of a person... So kind, and so loyal, so giving, so _so_ much better of a person than many humans... How someone as amazing as you are, can fail to see the good in himself." She finally looked up at him, despite herself there was a faint stinging in her eyes. "It practically breaks my heart."

Damian stared at Alice in blatant shock as she spoke, sincerity ringing throughout every word. He had had no idea that she felt that way about him. Perhaps, what he had dared to dream of in the most secret corners of his mind was not as out of reach as he had believed. Maybe... But no. Now was not the time. By the time she had finished, tears flowed freely from his eyes at her words, and he didn't even bother making an effort to blink them away. "I-I..." dumbstruck, the demon was left speechless, unsure of what to say in response, and uncertain of what he would say, even if he were capable. He looked away, reeling.

"Lass. From your point of view, you make me sound like some sort of hero. I'm not. I'm a _demon_. Literally, came crawling out of the Pit. I have done things in my past so dark that if you knew you'd be first in line to kill me. I've taken innocent lives, made deals with desperate people and forever damned their souls to the Pit, and you would call me _good_? So maybe I did a few decent things the past few days. It doesn't make up for what I've done. What I _am_." He looked back at her. "I am so grateful for your friendship, Alice. It means more to me than you can know. But I'm not what you seem to think I am. I am a creature of darkness, and while right now I yearn only for your safety and well-being, I cannot promise that such will always be the case. Sooner or later, I will likely return to my old ways, and I don't want to harm you when that happens. I cannot deny who I am. Pit knows I tried."

Looking down again, the demon sighed. "But I am glad that I was able to be of some use to you. If nothing else, Yellow Eyes has finally fallen, and we have _you_ to thank for that. Perhaps _you_ should not be so quick to discredit yourself. We all just did what we could, where we could. It was within my power to take the pain instead of you, and I did so. Just as it was within yours to take his life, and you did." He grinned at her again, allowing his gratitude for her regard to shine through. "Nonetheless, I cannot say that I am unhappy that you see me as such. I am glad that you no longer consider me just a demon. I value your friendship too highly."

Alice said nothing, but instead rose up onto her knees and wrapped her arms around him. She was careful not to hold him too tight, just enough to show how much she meant it. "We can sit here and argue about who discredits themselves more. But the fact of the matter is that you mean too much to me to just let you underestimate your worth." She said. "I know you're a demon. I'm not saying you're not. The point is that you are a demon, but you're also a good person. Not only that, you're my friend, not despite the fact that you're demon, not ignoring the fact that you're a demon. You are a demon. And you are my friend." She said, plain and simple. For the record though, he was the most human demon she'd ever come across.

Damian gingerly lifted his left arm to embrace her as best he could in return, his tears slowing, but not stopping, at the affirmation of the hunter's friendship. "Well, you're a hunter, and you are my friend." he muttered. "Quite the pair, we two, aren't we?" he chuckled ruefully, but did not let go just yet.

"You ladies gonna sit there huggin' it out and singin' Kum Ba Yah all day, or you gonna help me figure out what exactly we're gonna be up against next?" Bobby's voice, while gruff as ever, was not cruel, but instead had an almost teasing tone to it, as he plopped a couple of heavy tomes on the grass beside the hunter, with a notebook and pen on top. "I want a list of whatever you think would have been most likely to have escaped that hell gate. Just cause you're laid up doesn't mean you should be lazin' around, demon." he stated matter-of-factly, although he offered Damian a rare smile before turning to Alice.

"And as for you, these tomes have pretty much everything _useful_ that we have on the most common demons. If you and your boyfriend here wanna figure out what most likely escaped, you can look up ways to get them back down where they belong." The old hunter nodded once, decisively, and, not giving either a chance to protest or even respond, turned and swiftly headed back inside the house.

Alice had let go and turned towards Bobby when he first spoke. The whole time he talked, she'd been blushing. Sure, she wasn't too proud to admit that she cared for Damian, but ' _boyfriend_ ' might be a bit too far of a jump. They were just... Really good friends... Of course at that point she'd wondered why she had put so much thought into what could easily be an innocently teasing comment. Either way, before she got a chance to make any sort of protest or comment, the older hunter was gone. She let out a deep sigh, covering her face with her hands.

"6 years." She muttered. "Six years I'd hunted alone and let me tell you. While it got lonely sometimes I will admit... The peace was wonderful." At the last part of her declaration, she shot a look to where the older hunter had just stood. But, she let out a good humored laugh at the teasing none the less, and picked up the note book and pen. "Though, I suppose he has a point." She said, desperately tip-toeing around the 'boyfriend' comment. "It would be good to figure out what's coming next."

Damian took one look at her blush, and burst into helpless laughter, tears of mirth now running down his face. "Come on, lass. Peace is boring" he chortled, despite the fact that he himself had flushed a bit at Bobby's comment. There was no way in the Pit that Alice would ever feel that way about a demon, even if she was willing to be friends. Shakily picking up one of the tomes with his left hand, he began to scan it swiftly, pointing out which classes of demons he suspected would have been first out of the gate, and why. The human wrote the names and known weaknesses down as quickly as he could name them. Salt, holy water, and the Colt were obvious choices for all demons, but certain types had certain weaknesses, or at least defining characteristics, and they were quickly marked as relevant as the hunter and the demon worked together.


	18. Research

Alice easily kept up with the note taking as they went through the tomes. She listed out each kind of demon, each of their weaknesses, and each of their defining characteristics as Damian listed them off. Her research skills combined with her near flawless multitasking skills allowed her mind to wander, kicked into full gear by Bobby's comment. That combined with Ellen's comment on love the night before... It sent her mind into a whirlwind. The more she spoke to the demon, the more time she spent with him, the more she realized how possible it was that she did, in fact, love him. In one way or another, she probably already did if only she'd admit it to herself.

But for whatever reason, deeply rooted hunters logic, equally deeply rooted self consciousness, or just plain silliness, she just couldn't imagine him feeling the same way. Sure, it was obvious the demon cared for her in some respect... But love? She thought deeply on this as they filtered through the notes. And when they'd done a good bit, she let out a breath, setting the pen down for a moment and stretching a good bit.

Damian took the opportunity to crack his neck as Alice took a moment to rest. His flesh and bone continued to heal as time passed, and he was certain that by the end of the coming evening, he might be able to limp, or at least crawl back inside without aid. Glancing at the hunter beside him, his gaze caught on her arms as she stretched them above her head. Smooth, pale skin was covered with small scars here and there, and lined with lean, powerful muscles that spoke of a life hard-lived. His gaze went to her face, and he wondered how he had never before noticed the hunter's beauty.

Flushing when he caught himself staring, he looked away instantly. _There I go again, proving how vile and base a creature I truly am. She deserves so much better than to have the likes of me creeping on her._ Truly though, her physical beauty paled in comparison to the person within. Devoted, loyal, and selfless to a fault, the hunter loved sparingly, but those she cared for were clearly the luckiest of people. She lived the life of a hunter voluntarily, saving the lives of those to whom she owed nothing, receiving nothing but scorn in exchange. She had dedicated her life to a thankless, backbreaking, treacherous job that more often than not ended in an early, messy death. _She deserves so much better than the likes of me..._

 _"_ Well lass, shall we continue? Or would you like to break for lunch? It would seem we've been at it for several hours now, and I for one could use a break."

Alice sighed out a long 'Hmm', nodding a bit. "I think lunch would be a good idea." She agreed, happy for the distraction from her own thoughts. She gave him a content smile. "I'll go check it out, see what I can put together. I can bring it back out here, unless you'd rather come back inside." She suggested. Truthfully, as many reasons she had against admitting her own feelings to herself, and as many reasons she thought of why Damian wouldn't return them, a very small, very adventurous part of her just kept screaming 'why not.' Seeing the way he looked at her, and knowing herself how she saw him... It was perfectly possible. Probable even. But, as she stood from her spot in the grass, stretching her legs, she pushed all those thoughts away for now. She could deal with it later. For now, Lunch. She also realized as she stood up that amid feeding Damian, she'd actually forgotten to feed herself breakfast. Oops.

"Do what you will, lass. I don't mind either way. Truth be told, I don't really require any food right now, although I may try to eat something this evening to keep my strength up. Why don't you go on ahead inside and grab some lunch, and I'll stay out here and enjoy the sun?" Smiling peacefully, he leaned his head back against the back of the chair and let his eyes close, allowing his mind to wander as the hunter began to leave. She moved like a dancer, graceful and elegant, precise steps always landing exactly where she had intended. And yet, she also possessed all the feline grace inherent to the most dangerous of predators, seemingly innocent and harmless on the surface, but deadly when provoked. It called to him, and was most distracting. Shaking his head at his own foolishness, the demon reopened his eyes, flicked them to black, and stared up into the sky above. Love such as that was not meant for demons. It would be better to forget all about it.

As she walked away, she couldn't help but smile a little. Everything had changed so quickly. She went from a lone hunter, torn to bits from her parents' death, to finally having peace from seeing their killer dead, and on top of that, having actually made some friends. She knew she had Damian to thank for all of that. She only wished that Damian could see that. She'd never felt love, besides the love she had for her parents. But she certainly knew that a person doesn't spend the night curled up with a damaged back on a chair just to hold the hand of someone else simply out of mutual respect or because they're an ally.

As she walked into the house, she let out a sigh. Why did it all have to be so complicated? Demon or not did it really matter? Heck, did it even matter if he didn't return her feelings? It's not like she could fight it. Wrapped up in her thoughts, she went to the kitchen on auto-pilot. She put together a simple sandwich, setting it on a plate and sitting near a window so she could keep an eye out for Damian, just in case. She knew that inside the house would be safe, but she wasn't 100% sure about the outside. She ate her sandwich, deep in thought.

"Silver knife for your thoughts." the female hunter looked up, startled, as Dean sauntered into the kitchen, absolutely filthy, covered as he was in oil, dirt, and sweat. He pulled his dirty t-shirt off, wiping his face with it, before throwing it on a chair and grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge. "Want one?" he asked, eyeing Alice curiously. She had appeared to be very deep in thought, and the hunter wondered what could have so captured her attention. A glance out the window revealed their resident demon reclining on the same lawn chair, looking very much at peace, and Dean allowed himself a moment's contentment that the demon seemed to be healing. Despite his initial misgivings, Damian had proved nothing but peaceful, and somewhat useful, and the hunter was glad that he was recovering.

Alice looked up at Dean, pulled from her thoughts. "Hm? Oh." She shook her head a little at his offer. She wasn't much of a beer person. But smiled in thanks nonetheless. She glanced back out the window at the peaceful demon, who had been occupying her thoughts since she'd sat down. Once again, she shook her head slightly, looking down at her plate. "I never expected things to change so quickly." She noted, looking up at Dean. "For the past six years I've been almost entirely alone. Most of the time, the only company I had was the haunting memory of my parents, and a longing for revenge that I never thought I'd get. Within the span of a week, I've made friends, found and killed the thing that murdered my parents, and found out the reason why they were dead in the first place. I've even learned the point of their experimenting. That was a question I never thought would be answered. And all this has happened within one week." She shook her head slightly. "And now here I am." She said with a light laugh, once again looking back out the window. "Ask me two weeks ago if I'd consider myself close friends with a demon, and honestly I probably would have laughed at you."

He shot her a rueful grin in return, taking a sip of his drink as he turned his own gaze out the window once more thoughtfully. "Same here, Thompson. Same here." He shook his head a couple of times, then glanced back at her, a teasing light in the hunter's eyes. "He does kind of grow on you though..." as he headed out the back door to continue work on the Impala, he shot over his shoulder, "Like a fungus, or foot mold." He ducked the thrown book, laughing as he exited.

Alice couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. A moment after he'd gone she went over and picked up the book, shaking her head with a smile. After that she cleaned up her dishes, then went back outside. She silently lay down on the grass beside Damian so that she didn't disturb his peace. She stared up at the clouds, watching as they floated by, seeing their different shapes as the moved and molded themselves from one image to the next.

The demon stirred, blinking lazily in the afternoon sunlight. Glancing beside him, he noticed Alice sprawled out on the grass next to him, contemplating the clouds. He smiled slightly, delighted at the rare moment of peace for a hunter, an occasion almost unheard of for one with her type of lifestyle. Then, he furrowed his brow in thought. He hated to disturb her, but they really should be focusing on the fight to come, for there were many who had escaped from the Pit, and if they were to protect this world that she loved, they would need to be prepared. "Lass" he murmured softly, smiling again when her eyes caught his. "Are you willing to continue? I believe we have most of what we need, but we really should finish up if possible."

Alice smiled a little as she looked up at him. "Of course." She said, sitting up. She picked up the pen and notebook. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you." She said, giving him a soft smile. "I know how rare a calm moment can be. I figured we could afford it." She said warmly. "Now then... Where were we?" She asked, filing through her notes. "Ah. Should be page 183 of... This one." She picked up one of the Tomes, handing it to him.

"Indeed. The Acheri, it would seem. Nasty little lower rankers, they usually appear in the form of a little girl, and why do you look like you know exactly what I'm talking about? You hunted one before?"

Alice nodded. "At that town we were in, where Azazel took us. Sam was attacked by one. One of the other psychic's, Ava. She was controlling it. Jake snapped her neck and the thing disappeared." She told her, writing down what info she already had. "Have you ever heard of that happening before?" She asked curiously.

"One of the psychics was controlling it?" the demon was astonished. "She must have been honing her skills for quite some time. It takes considerable power and will to tame a demon, even one as low as an Acheri." He glanced away for a moment, a distant look in his eyes. "I am glad that Jake took care of the problem before harm could come to you at the hands of such a creature." Shaking his head a bit to clear it, he met her eyes again. "That is about all I know of them. They aren't much of a threat, and are easy to dispose of so long as you know how to watch your back, and can figure out who holds their leash."

Alice nodded, writing that down. "Makes sense enough." She said. She hadn't missed the look in his eyes when he mentioned her possibly getting hurt. She very briefly thought about bringing that up but... Quickly brushed the temptation away. Now wasn't the time. "How many more have we got?" She asked. In the several hours they'd worked on it before they had gotten through quite a bit.

"Truly? Unless any of the _really_ nasty nasties got out, that should be about the end of what might have escaped. Most likely to be seen first would be the Seven." He looked contemplative for a moment. "Patience never was their thing. Others may have more minor effects spread out over an area, but those would be the most immediate threat to humankind."

"The Seven?"Alice asked curiously, not quite catching his meaning. She looked down at her notebook. She'd been so occupied with her thoughts while they were working earlier, it was possible she just didn't remember him mentioning something to do with Seven but... She couldn't' recall.

He grinned. "The Seven Deadly Sins. Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth. You may have heard of them if you've ever picked up a Bible. Here, they are made manifest in seven demons, each specializing in one of these. They will infest and infect massive amounts of people, and will leave death and destruction in their wake. If there is any indication of such activities, it may be wise to seek them out first, to eliminate them as the most immediate threat. Perhaps the Winchesters will know more, if they are watching local and global news feeds."

Alice nodded. "Oh... I'd heard of them, I never thought they would actually be something. I figured it was more about the idea of them." She said. "That sounds like it could get messy. We'll have to keep that in mind. Any idea how to kill them?" She asked. "Or in the very least send them back?" She wrote down the name of each one, leaving space for weaknesses and how to kill and such.

"Beyond the usual salt and holy water to incapacitate temporarily, devil's traps to hold them, and normal exorcisms? They have unique weaknesses, no doubt, but I fear I was never in close enough contact with any of them to discover specifics during my time below. Best advice I would give would be to proceed with caution, and do not attempt to hunt them without backup. Perhaps Sam and Dean would be up for some company in their following hunts, if you are not opposed."

Alice nodded, writing the info down. "Oh I'm always up for a hunt." She said with a grin. "We'll let the guys know later. These notes can work for a good cheat sheet I think." She said with a smile. The notes she'd written were organized by demon type and included weaknesses they knew, different facts about them, unique features, anything she could find out either from the books, or from Damian. "So, other than that, that's about it?" She asked, raising a brow. "At least the most possible ones anyway?"

Stretching a bit, and grinning when he managed to raise his right arm to shoulder height before it flopped back down, he nodded. "That's the run down, lass. This is, of course, excluding all demons who already walk the earth, and those who are able to travel freely between hell and earth, but yeah. We're done, it would seem. Shall we head back inside?" He watched the setting sun wistfully, but knew that it would be best to begin moving now if he wished to make it all the way back to his room by nightfall.


	19. Family

"Why don't we wait for a bit?" She asked in response to the demon's suggestion, tilting her head a little. "It's been forever since I've just watched a sunset, and besides, after all that work, we deserve a bit of a reward." She said with a bright smile. "Dontcha think?" She asked him, raising a brow. "Stick around, let's watch the skies for a bit. I doubt you'll turn into a pumpkin." She added with a small giggle.

The demon tilted his head, giving her an unamused look. "Cinderella references? Really lass?" He shook his head in mock disappointment. Then he couldn't suppress a smile of his own. "Although I wouldn't say no to watching the setting sun. It has been quite some time since I found myself somewhere safe from both hunters and demons alike. It is... nice." he commented.

As the sun began to sink below the horizon, the demon sighed contentedly, glancing over at the hunter beside him. She had tilted her head back, enjoying the lingering rays of light and warmth from the setting sun, and his gaze caught upon the play of light on her features. Before he could be caught staring, the demon glanced back towards the sun, the light reflecting off of his own dirty blond hair. His deep blue eyes gazed wistfully into the sunset, undamaged by staring directly into the light, as he wondered what it would be like, to be a creature of light instead of darkness.

He had few enough memories of his time as a human, but he knew beyond all shadow of a doubt that it must have been better than his time as a demon. The Pit was a place of darkness, pain, and despair that could twist even the purest innocence, but this time here, in the light of the setting sun with one he trusted and... _loved_... could not be more different, or more comforting.

Alice smiled a little, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her skin as she drank in the colors of the sunset. After a moment, her eyes flicked to him, seeing the way the light made his hair seem to glow. His deep blue eyes sparkled in the sunset. She wasn't blind. He was quite attractive and the sun bouncing off his features made him all the more handsome. She only watched him for a moment before returning her eyes to the colors of the sky, sighing softly.

"I've always loved watching the sunset." She said softly, breaking their peaceful silence. "My parents and I lived in this one house for a time, two floors and a basement. My Bedroom was on the top floor, and the window opened up to a bit of roof over top of the balcony. Every night I would climb out my window and sit there, just watching the sunset while I read, or wrote in a journal, or whatever I might be doing that day." She smiled softly at the bittersweet memory. "It would make my Mom furious. She was always concerned that I'd fall of the roof. My Dad, however, would climb up and sit with me." She let out a small laugh. "Of course, that just made my Mom even more angry." She looked down at her feet, which was outstretched in front of her. "Still to this day I love watching the sunset. Some days I can almost hear my Dad laughing as Mom demanded that we get down before we break our necks." She sighed heavily. "Sorry... That was a bit depressing..."

The demon glanced over at the human once more, concern for her clear in his eyes. Emotional comfort remained far from his area of expertise, but he owed her nothing less. Even as he smiled sadly at her bittersweet recollections of her parents, he listened intently, happy for the chance to hear a bit more about the hunter couple who had spared his life, and their extraordinary daughter who had done so much for him. "Fear not, lass. Sometimes, old memories need a bit of sadness to be able to see the contrasting joy. Your parents were good people. I can tell you this much. Their souls did not fall to the Pit. It was part of an agreement I made with myself the day they saved me. I would watch out for their child, you, if I could, and I would ensure their souls' safe journeys up. They are at peace."

Alice kept her eyes on her feet, trying to fight back the sting of tears that threatened to well in her eyes. She smiled though, glad to hear that they were at peace. She'd always wondered. "Thank you." She whispered, her voice soft, a small bit shaky. She brought her eyes up to the sky, a single tear rolling down her cheek. But it wasn't born from sadness, but from joy and relief. The happy sort of tears that come from thinking back at a happy memory about someone lost. She quickly wiped the tear off her face, hoping that he hadn't noticed it. She glanced towards him with a warm smile. "I appreciate that." She said sincerely. She said nothing more as she looked back at the setting sun, not able to trust her voice with saying anymore. She cleared her throat, sniffling softly.

Levering himself out of the chair, and only just managing not to fall into a crumpled heap on the ground for the third time in as many days, Damian managed to hold himself upright enough to offer Alice a gentle embrace, wrapping his arms around her in a supportive hug. "I saw no need for you to fear for them when they have been at peace since the day they died. Set your mind at ease, Alice. You will see them again, someday. I swear it. Just... try not to make it too soon, yeah? I'm afraid I might be starting to grow rather fond of you." he teased lightly, drawing back again, and balancing himself on his left arm to keep from falling over.

Alice couldn't help but smile a little wider when he hugged her. She helped him stay up a little, but then decided to lay down on the grass instead, helping to guide him down beside her. She stared up at the sky. "I'll do my best if you promise to do the same." She said, looking over at him. "I happen to know that I've grown rather fond of you too." She said, only she sounded much less teasing and more sincere. She thought back to the other night. When she'd thought he'd died, it had utterly shattered her. She felt as though her heart had been torn out and fed to her. She kept her eyes on his, carefully watching his reaction.

Caught off guard, both by her sudden re-positioning of them both, and her statement, the demon couldn't stop a flush spreading out from his cheeks. He tried to think of a response, some foolish little jest to lighten the odd mood that had come upon them, but his mind had utterly blanked out. Ducking his head, he turned and pressed his forehead into the side of her shoulder instead of replying, breathing in her comforting scent and using the action as an excuse to avoid her eyes. "I swear it, lass. I have no desire as of yet to return to the Pit, for there you will never be, my friend." he muttered softly.

Alice closed her eyes slightly, leaning her head so the side of it rested on the top of his. She felt his breath against his shoulder. She wasn't particularly used to being so close to someone, metaphorically or literally. But this felt so natural, so comfortable. "And you have worked too hard to ensure my survival up to this point for me to let myself die now." She whispered in return. "If you'd died under that tree, I'm not sure I'd have been able to live with myself." She admitted softly, her heart nearly breaking at just the thought. "I was so afraid that you had... I saw you laying there and I just..." She shook her head, unable to let herself finish the thought.

Damian wanted to look up, to offer her that reassuring grin and state that Yellow Eyes would have had to try much harder to kill him, but it felt so good, so _safe_ to be near to her, to be able to relax this close to her and not have to worry about anything. He was honestly shocked that she had not become angry with him for touching her, but instead allowed the contact and even leaned her own head against his. "I am not so easy to kill lass." he muttered, a weary smile touching his lips, though he did not pull away to look at her, enjoying the contact and comfort far too much. "You got there in time. You saved me."

Alice let out a short, breathy laugh. "I did." She agreed, smiling a little. She kept her eyes closed, not finding any point in having them open. "And I'm glad I did. Though, admittedly, a warning would have been nice." She added with a bit of a grin. She let herself relax, her breathing soft and slow. There was something so comforting about the absolutely peaceful moment between the two. She could feel his warmth beside her and it made her feel warm in turn. He, in general, made her feel warm... Comfortable... Safe. She knew nothing could stop her with him by her side.

Damian smiled, her exasperation by now as familiar to him as her calm. "Come, lass. When, in all the short time you've known me, have I ever given you fair warning about what I plan to do next to keep you on your toes?" he murmured, not really expecting an answer. Blinking open his eyes that he hadn't even realized he had shut, the demon glanced up without moving his head. The stars had begun to come out, and with a whisper of thought, the demon chased off any and all insects that had begun to approach. Letting his eyes drift shut again, he reveled in the safety and comfort and warmth of the human at his side, and without even realizing it, he fell asleep then and there on the grass, feeling fully _safe_ for the first time in a long time.

Alice let out a soft laugh at his comment. He had a good point. But, she didn't answer, not finding the need to. With the warmth from him beside her bringing her such comfort, the slight chill in the air that came from the absence of the sun didn't faze her in the slightest. For the moment, her thoughts were completely silent. Her hand twitched out a slight bit, resting right beside his so they were only just touching. Within a few moments, she too had fallen into a light, comfortable sleep beside him.

"Hey. Either of you seen Alice recently?" Sam asked, as he and Bobby devoured some leftovers from the older hunter's fridge. Dean had just emerged from a shower after giving up on working on the Impala for the day, and he shook his head in denial, moving to grab some food himself. "Nah, she went out to talk to the demon this afternoon. Haven't seen her since." his brother responded, extremely unconcerned.

"I think I'll go check on them. I know none of the warding on the perimeters have been breached, but considering everything that's happened recently, I want to make sure they're ok." Dean gave his brother a look that was half incredulous, half mocking. "You're worried about a lifelong hunter and a demon? Don't be such a girl Sammy." The younger brother rolled his eyes, but abandoned his plate nonetheless and moved to the door. "Be right back." he muttered. His search was short lived. Right next to the lawn chair he and Dean had helped the demon to just that morning, the missing hunter and demon lay curled up.

Sam grinned, but left them. It was none of his business what they got up to, so long as Damian was not manipulating her in any way, and in his opinion, they deserved each other. The demon was the only of his kind that the seasoned hunter would trust, but trust him Sam did, and they all deserved what comfort they could find. It wasn't his place to judge them. Seeing that they appeared comfortable enough, and were clearly unharmed, he moved back inside without disturbing them, leaving them sleeping peacefully side by side in the night.

Alice slept soundly for a good few hours, and didn't find herself waking up until the wee hours of the morning. When she did wake up, it was slowly, gently, and unhurried. She slowly opened her eyes, confused when she saw the night sky twinkling up above her. The stars were brilliant. But why was she under them? Where was the roof? She adjusted her position slightly, her hand brushing against Damian's as she did. She glanced down to see the demon curled up asleep beside her.

She stilled, smiling softly as she let out a silent breath of a laugh. They'd fallen asleep under the stars. How completely cliché. She was surprised by her warmth, and the lack of bugs around them. She looked up at the bright moon and let out a sleepy sigh. Because of the warmth, and her own surprising comfort, she made no move to get up, or wake Damian. Instead, in the warmth of the early morning, she let her eyes close again, drifting back off to sleep, not waking again until the sunlight of the next day warmed her skin.

Damian stirred, confused even in his subconscious. Most of the time when he awoke, it was to feelings of despair, hopelessness, or more commonly, simple apathy. He was damned to walk as a demon the rest of his days, and he could try to do good all he wanted, but it wouldn't change anything. This morning, however, the demon felt nothing but sheer contentment, peace, and tranquility. He was warm, and somehow knew he was safe, despite not yet having checked his surroundings.

As he began to wake up, he sensed a body beside him, and tensed, but within seconds he recognized Alice, and the memories of the previous night came rushing back. Grinning in euphoria, the demon struggled to repress the chuckles he wanted emit, the irony of having somehow been permitted to sleep beneath the stars beside the one he lo... cared deeply for, was enough to make him giddy. The warmth of the early morning sun crept over him, and he felt it rays on his skin. Smiling into the new day, for the first time in a long time, the demon allowed himself to hope for a better future than the bleak and lonely endless forever that had before always seemed to be the only thing that lay ahead for him. He knew that this was all due to the hunter sleeping peacefully beside him, and he smiled.

He felt vaguely guilty even as he did so, for he was so far from deserving any of this that it frightened him, but even though he knew it could not last, he could not help but enjoy the feeling of security and belonging while it was his. Rising slowly, careful not to wake the hunter, Damian marveled at his legs. They had appeared to have healed almost entirely overnight, and the demon wondered wildly for a moment if that had anything to do with Alice's proximity. Perhaps, since he had felt so safe, his body had picked up on that, and diverted the energy that had been keeping him on his guard towards healing instead, and the demon was glad that he could so instinctively trust Alice. He limped up to the house, on a search for breakfast for himself and the hunter.

A few moments after Damian had left, Alice awoke once more. She sat up, and stretched before opening her eyes. She looked to her side, expecting to see Damian there. When he was not, she couldn't help the small bit of panic that rose in her chest. She looked around the yard, then got up, stretching fully before going inside. She could hear the other hunters before she saw them. "Anyone seen Damian?" She questioned as she walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She knew better than to panic without reason. If he wasn't in here, then she'd let herself be concerned. She'd fallen asleep out there wearing nothing but her shorts and a T-shirt, as her other things were still covered in dried blood, and the rest of her things had been left with her truck at the other motel.

Three hunters and a befuddled-looking demon looked up at Alice when she came in. The Winchesters were flanking Damian, all seated at the table, and the demon looked nervous but not overly terrified. "Hello, lass. Sleep well?" Dean smirked, and nudged the demon with an elbow, still gentle and mindful of his healing body while he did so. "You would know, eh?" Damian flushed and looked down, then tried to struggle to his feet, only to be pulled back down by two pairs of strong but careful hands. "Come on, dude. Give the guy a break. He still looks like he went through a meat grinder; it isn't his fault he wanted a cuddle buddy." Sam's grin was devious but clearly not malicious.

Alice blushed deeply, but let out a light laugh all the same. "Oh gosh, we're never gonna live that down, are we?" She groaned a little, but still smiled a little. She plopped down at the table with the rest, sighing heavily. She stretched her back a bit. Despite the slight discomfort in her back, and the constant teasing that she knew was to come, she couldn't bring herself to regret last night. They'd both been so comfortable.

The demon looked at the brothers, gauging his chances of escaping unscathed, then shot Alice a grin and muttered. "Doubtful. But I'm sure there is plenty of dirt on them that I can dig up in vengeance." The brothers both looked startled and alarmed at the prospect, and the demon grinned through his fear. Bobby let out a chuckle from where he stood leaning against the counter with a coffee mug of gargantuan proportions. Damian also thought he could detect a hint of whisky from the coffee, but who was he to judge? "Best watch your backs, boys. You of all people should know what a vengeful demon can do." Damian tensed, glancing to either side, wondering if the Winchesters would have taken his playful teasing as a threat, and would respond with violence, but Dean just groaned and dropped his head on the table, and Sam let out a rueful chuckle as he continued to eat.

Alice let out a giggle, taking a plate and starting to take her fill of food. "Oh trust me." She commented, grinning just a little darker than most would expect possible for the innocent looking hunter to be able to pull. "You don't need to be a demon to be vengeful and dangerous." She let out another small chuckle before giving the two boys a near-sickly sweet smile. Then, almost instantly she returned back to her normal self, as if nothing at all had been said. "So, yesterday Damian and I got through pretty much all the demons we'd need to worry about." She said matter-of-factly as she took a bite of bacon. She realized then just how little she'd eaten yesterday. She really needed to stop doing that to herself.

Damian was eyeing her in ill-concealed concern as she wolfed down the bacon ravenously, though the demon remained quiet. Dean, meanwhile, had sat back up, and was attacking his own breakfast with gusto. "Well" his mouth was full, but the hunter seemed oblivious, speaking through it with skill that spoke of long practice. "As soon as we hear word of attacks that seem like they might be our type of thing, me and Sammy will be out of here."

The demon looked up at the brothers then, asking, "Are you certain you will be up to the task? There are many creatures of darkness that took advantage of the open door to escape the Pit. I do not doubt your abilities, but these creatures are very powerful. You and your brother may need... backup..." he trailed off, looking to Alice for confirmation.

"Oh absolutely." Alice agreed, swallowing down her own mouthful before continuing. "Don't you two be thinking you'll be getting rid of us that easy. Damian's trying to be nice about it but... This is our fight too now. Whether you like it or not, you two are not alone on this." She told them decisively. Clearly, she had no intention of giving the brothers any choice in the matter.

Dean appeared almost angry at the suggestion that he and Sam wouldn't be enough, but he had no sooner opened his mouth to retort than did Sam kick him under the table, hard enough to give his brother pause. "Dean." he cautioned. "We haven't hunted enough demons to be experts on their kind. Who better than Damian to give us the information we need? And it would help to have numbers on our side, for once. As you pointed out last night, they are a seasoned hunter and a demon. We don't need to worry about watching their backs beyond that of another hunter's. It's not like they're civvies." The elder brother looked reluctant, but after several long moments of contemplation, he nodded.

Alice smiled. "Thank you Sam." She said, giving Dean a small nod. "You won't regret it." She assured him. "And besides..." Her smile faded just slightly. "It's been kinda nice having other people around. It's good to know you've got someone having your back." She said with a slightly sad looking smile. But she quickly brushed it off, taking another bite of bacon. "And we won't be around for _all_ your hunts. You two can do your own thing, we'll just get together for the more serious demon hunts. I'll make sure you have my number and email. We can let each other know if things get messy."

Dean looked much more on board with that plan, and he nodded again at her last statement, before rising to his feet, finished. "Here" he said, serious again as he helped to give Damian a hand up. The demon staggered for a moment before he caught his balance, and both Winchesters immediately moved to steady him. Offering a thankful smile, the demon managed to limp away from the table, heading out the door without further word. The brothers took their plates, and the demon's as well, to the sink, then headed upstairs. Singer shook his head slightly, grabbing a couple of pieces of bacon before heading to his study, taking his coffee jug- er, mug, with him.


	20. Day Off

Alice finished her own breakfast quickly, and then took her own plate to the sink. She quickly cleaned up, seeing as none of the others had any intention to. She then headed outside. But first, she stopped at Bobby's office, gently knocking on the door. "Bobby?" She called out. "It's me."

The old hunter looked up, surprised, and grumbled. "Just come in, Thompson. Don't bother using manners and courtesy around here. It's wasted on most." Voice as gruff as ever, the hunter still couldn't hide a glimmer of respect and affection from his eyes, for Alice had proven herself worthy of both in the past few days. _Just like her parents_ , Bobby thought fondly. "What do you need?"

"Actually um..." She said, stepping in. "It's not so much about me." She told him, eyeing the massive coffee mug. "I don't mean to intervene with anything but... Quite frankly, you seem like the kinda guy who hasn't had anyone looking after him for quite a few years... So, in the kindest way possible..." She gave the older hunter a small smile, repeating his words from the night before. "You look dead on your feet." She said gently. "You get much more productive work done when researching when your mind is well rested. 20 minutes of work after a good night's sleep and a full stomach is much more productive than three hours after no sleep at all and a belly full of coffee and whiskey." She informed him.

Singer's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and for a moment, the old hunter was speechless. "Well... I..." he looked at her closer, then closed his eyes and muttered. "Balls." Opening his eyes again, he fixed her with a glare, but it was not ill meant. "You are entirely too much like your father, you know that Thompson? You may have your mother's looks and speed, but your personality is all his. He would have been on my case just the same, _was_ more times than not." He sighed, casting a forlorn glance at his coffee. "You're probably right." When she said nothing further, just looked at him pointedly, then cocked a brow, the older hunter sighed again. "Fine dang it! Fine. I'll try to look after myself better from now on, if only to keep you idjits alive."

She couldn't help but smile at his comment about her parents. Brought up just a little more of the bittersweet memories she'd tried to repress earlier. "They raised me well. They spoke of you often. You're exactly as my Dad described you. Stubborn as hell, but generous and kinder than you'd let people think. I only wish I'd looked you up sooner." She told him. "Go get some sleep Bobby. Something's coming our way. Something ugly. If I were you, I'd get as much good rest as I can." She gave him a warm, kind smile.

He shook his head, waving her out of his study, but he did begin to put things away as he prepared to go and rest for a time. The kid did have a point. Mere moments after his head hit his pillow, the old hunter was out cold.

Alice smiled a little as she left his office to head outside in search for Damian. All this time she'd spent alone. Of course she'd always had those numbers, but never thought to call one of them. Besides, to her they were all strangers, and none of the numbers'd had names... Brushing off the consideration, she walked out into the late morning air. "Damian?" She called softly, doing a quick search of the area.

The demon sat, hidden amongst the wreckage of cars, his legs pulled up to his chest, with his head resting on his knees. Lost in thought, fighting so hard to remember those he had lost, Damian could only recall the faintest of memories. Since becoming a demon, the darkness within had blotted out nearly all memory of those he had traded his own soul to save, and he mourned their loss. Concentrating as hard as he could, he was pulled abruptly out of his thoughts, startling at Alice's call. Struggling as quickly as he could to his feet, he limped in the direction her voice had come from. "You alright, lass?"

Alice smiled softly at the worry in his voice. "You know, me calling your name doesn't always mean I'm in danger." She noted, quickly closing the gap between them. "I was just coming out to see if you were. You headed outside so quickly, I got a little worried. Everything okay?"

He grinned up at her, but it was a smile several degrees more melancholy than his usual. "Nah, lass, you needn't worry about me. I'll be fine, always am. And given your track record, you'll have to forgive me if I worry first, ask questions later. Your line of work, it's more likely to be life and death than not." Smiling at her once more, he then turned his gaze back to the ground. "I'm fine lass. Truly. Are you certain you don't need anything?"

"Damian." She said softly. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. You can say that. I don't mind. But please don't try to lie to me." She said simply. "I know what it looks like, lying about your emotions, putting on a smile as to not worry anyone else... I know what it looks like because I've seen that very same smile in the mirror for the past six years. Alright? I may not understand your degree of suffering, but I know what it feels like to try and hide that suffering." Her voice was soft. Not accusatory, but understanding. Gentle. Supportive.

He took a deep breath, blinking at the unexpected stinging in his eyes. "It's not so much that I don't want to talk about it lass, as that I don't know what to say. There really isn't anything wrong, so to speak, I simply feel... odd. Perhaps it is just in that I _feel_ at all. For over a century, I lived in apathy, entirely uncaring of anything that didn't directly affect me. I was wandering without purpose. Then, your parents... found me. They had every chance, and every _reason_ to kill me, but they didn't. They spared my life, and I still don't know why."

He looked utterly lost. "I don't know why... And then I met you, and you were so determined, so dead set on vengeance whether or not is was attainable, whether or not you had a snowball's chance in the Pit, you would see justice for your parents' murder or die trying. You made me care, made me _feel_ again, and I..." He trailed off, looking away again. "I suppose I am just trying to cope with all that has happened."

Alice pulled him into a hug, careful not to hurt him, knowing he was still weak. For a good while, she was silent, just holding him. But then, she pulled away, taking his hand. "C'mon. Follow me." She said softly, leading him slowly deeper into the maze of broken down cars and parts. Once they'd found a decent spot, a good bit away from the house, she sat down, gently guiding him along with her. "I wanna teach you something. A human trick for when things get tough and you can't find a way to cope." She held his hands, facing him with her legs crossed. "Close your eyes."

Confused, he obeyed, but not without first quipping, "You aren't going to knock me out and rob me blind, are you lass? Cause I should tell you, I only have a very impressive lint collection, a bit of dried blood, half a used napkin, and a paper clip in my pockets." He did as she asked without argument, however, choosing to trust whatever the human had in mind.

Alice let out a soft laugh. "I promise not to rob you." She said with a smile. "Now. Take a deep breath. Five seconds in through your nose, then seven seconds out through your mouth." She told him, rubbing gentle circles into the palm of his hands using her thumbs. "Count it out in your head." She kept her voice soft, calming.

The demon obeyed, still confused, but trusting Alice nonetheless. As he repeated the breathing exercises, he felt the raging storm within his own mind begin to calm, and he found a sense of peace. A small, white light came into focus as he sat with closed eyes, and he concentrated on that single, lonely light amidst all the darkness about him and within him. He kept breathing, but only a small part of his mind was occupied with counting the intake and exhalations, most of his mind wrapped up in the tiniest flickering of the light that he had long ago thought lost. Several long minutes later, he opened his eyes, truly at peace for the first time since he had made the deal with the crossroads demon. "Thank you, lass. Truly."

Alice smiled warmly. "Worked, didn't it?" She said brightly. "You're welcome. I'm glad it worked for you too." She said. Then, she pulled him into another warm, gentle hug. "Any time you just need a break, or are feeling out of it, just close your eyes, take a few deep breaths. And any time you want to talk. Doesn't matter when, doesn't matter what about, you come find me. I mean that. Okay?" She promised him. "I'm always willing to listen."

He smiled. "Thank ye, lass. Know that the reverse is true. Always. Even if I begin to fall, I do not doubt that you could call me back, or, failing that, put me down before I hurt anyone. As long as I am in my right mind, however, I am here for you as well." Glancing at the morning sun well on its way to its zenith, the demon shook out his limbs, grinning when they all responded well. He still moved with a pronounced limp, and had to be cautious when using his right arm, but it seemed that he had, for the most part, healed well enough to get around at the least.

"What did you plan to do today, lass? Most of the necessary research is done, so unless there's a hunt in the area you wanted to check out, we should have the whole day ahead of us." Suddenly remembering, the demon snapped his fingers, bringing Alice's truck and remaining belongings to the salvage yard in a blink, from where they had remained the last time she had gone with the Winchesters in the Impala. They had never had time to bring her to her truck, as Yellow Eyes had already gotten ahold of Damian by then. He listed sideways for a moment, then regained his balance, grinning.

Alice smiled a little. "You could have waited to do that until you were properly healed you know." She said with a small laugh. "But, thank you. That was actually all I really had in the plan today, getting my things back so I could have a proper shower and um, put on some proper clothes." She said, glancing down at her shorts and T-shirt. "So... After I get myself cleaned up and... I suggest you should probably do the same... _Then_ we have 'the whole day ahead of us'. " She said with a small smirk. She stood, offering her hands out to help him up.

He accepted gratefully, rising quickly with her aid, and then limped beside her up to the house. While she went to take a shower, Damian concentrated his (still weakened) abilities, and snapped. In an instant, he was clean, and dressed in a blue flannel, black jeans, and work boots that were easy to move and run in. He casually snuck upstairs to Sam's room, and though he was still limping, and he had not removed the bandages, only replaced them with clean ones, and a brace for his knee over his jeans, he was much quieter now that he had healed as much as he had.

Creeping into the hunter's room, the demon was surprised at the lack of devil's traps, although he supposed that if any demon were foolish enough to sneak onto Singer's property with ill intent, they would never make it past the front door, never mind the bedrooms. Stealing one of the youngest hunter's combs, Damian strolled back out, his usual rolling gait only slightly hampered by his limp. As he combed through his hair, he was struck with the memory of a soft, gentle hand running through it only days before. Smiling in bliss, he allowed himself the memory of that comfort, then pushed the thought away, berating himself for a fool. Rolling his shoulder, and hearing the minute snaps and crackles of the shifting newly-healed bone and joints, the demon grinned. It was a good day.

Alice picked out some clothes from her bag. Fresh jeans, a new T-Shirt, and the other necessities. Then, grabbing her shower stuff, she headed to the bathroom. She ran the water nice and warm. She enjoyed every second of it, humming softly to herself. When she was done, she dried off and got dressed. Not wanting to bother drying her hair, she instead pulled it back into a thick braid. Once she figured herself presentable, she headed back out. She put her bloodstained clothes in a bag to be disposed of later, and threw her shorts and tee from before in a different bag she had for dirty laundry. Then, finally, she headed downstairs.

Damian glanced up guiltily when he heard footsteps on the stairs, wondering if Sam had yet noticed his missing comb, only to check himself and stare when Alice walked in, cleaned up and dressed in hunter's garb once more. Every other time he had seen her, he had either been in fear for his life, fearing for her life, half dead, or she was covered in blood. Now, he had to force himself to look away, and took only a moment to wonder why he was so strongly affected. It wasn't as though he hadn't seen beauty before, but perhaps this was different, if only because he was so emotionally attached as well. Shaking off his thoughts, he grinned at the hunter. "Well, don't you clean up fancy, lass? What do you plan to do with the rest of your day?"

Alice blushed slightly, letting out a soft laugh. "Well thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." She said with a bright smile. And it was true. Now that he had all his features back, and seemed to be nearly completely healed, she could really see the demon in his full handsome visage. She had to admit, he looked so much better with a whole face and a mouth full of teeth. "And honestly, I have no idea. It's been awhile since I've had a day off; I'm not sure what to do with myself." She admitted.

Damian looked at her for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed heartily. "You're jesting, surely? You don't know what to do with time off? You could go to a bar, hustle pool, go shopping, go for a run, buy a dog, ride a dragon, take over the world. The possibilities are endless." he finished with a grin, still chuckling a bit. "What do you feel like doing? I may not be fully healed physically yet, but my other abilities are recovering. I could likely take us anywhere you want to go, if you feel like it. Else, you could hang out here, do whatever. What do you want to do?"

Alice let out a light laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I might think you were asking me out." She teased, returning his signature grin with one of her own. "But, since you asked, why don't we just go for a bit of a drive, see where we end up?" She suggested. "I find that the best restaurants and cafes are the ones found in small, barely known towns." She said with a smile. "I'll just leave a note for the guys. Just so they don't worry."

Damian's eyes widened, and he froze at her first comment. He had not intended for his offer to be taken in such a way, hadn't even thought of how it might have been misconstrued, and yet now that she said it, he flushed. Regardless, he responded cheerfully enough. "Sounds like a plan to me, lass. Let's go be food critics for a day." Smirking, he limped over to the truck and leaned against the tailgate, waiting for the hunter to leave her note.

Alice smiled. Quickly she wrote down her note.

'Hey guys. Damian and I have gone out for a bit. We should be back soon. If anything interesting happens, I've put my number on the back of this page. I've got my cell with me. So you can call if anything happens. Be safe! Alice.'

Then, after sticking it to the fridge, she headed out, purse slung over her arm. "Alrighty, hop in." She said, unlocking the door with her key. "Unless you need a hand?" She offered.

Damian nodded gratefully at the offer, borrowing the hunter's strength to lever himself up into the truck. Alice then swung into the driver's side, and no sooner had she started the car, than did the demon reach for the radio. 'Life is a Highway' came on, and the hunter rolled her eyes as the demon lit up and began enthusiastically singing along and dancing as best he could in his seat. They took off out of the salvage yard to the smell of burning rubber and the sound of the engine's purr.


	21. The Pack

As the song went on, Alice let out a bubbly laugh. Heck, if you can't beat em... Join em. With a shake of her head, and another small laugh, she joined in, singing just as enthusiastically as they drove. When the song reached its end, she laughed again, glancing at Damian with a bright smile before returning her eyes to the road. "I admit, it's a pretty good song."

The demon nodded sagely. "Oh yes, classic rock remains the best genre of music. And I've been around for over a century. I would know. The '80s were truly a golden age..." he smirked over at the hunter. "So, where is our first stop?"

Alice let that thought sink in. She'd never let herself think about that before but... He was really old. It didn't bother her or anything, if anything just made her curious. But instead of asking to expand on that, she simply shrugged, answering his question. "Wherever catches our eye." She told him, giving him a bright smile. "That's the fun of it. We don't know where we're going until we get there." She told him. This was something she did when she didn't have a good case. Once she got to a nice little town, she would settle into a local motel, check out whatever touristy sights there might be, and then do a day or so of research on the local lore, just for either fun or future reference. "So, if anything particularly catches your eye, then we stop."

He furrowed his brow in thought. Though he had spent many of his years wandering without purpose, and closing a deal or two, he had never really considered looking into where he passed through, never interested enough to bother. With that idea in mind, however, he could see the appeal to such a plan. They were passing through Sioux Falls at the moment, headed away from Bobby's, and a familiar, tiny, out-of-the-way diner caught his eye. He snickered.

Alice glanced at him. "Found something?" She asked curiously, turning down the radio a tad. She looked around, seeing the diner. "There? Could be good. Wanna check it out?" She asked, giving him a smile.

Surprisingly, that only made the demon laugh harder. "Sure" he chortled. "I know the pack who owns the place. We'd probably get free food and everything." His eyes glinted with amusement. "What's your stance on werewolves, lass?"

"Werewolves?" She questioned with a raised brow. "Honestly I've only encountered a few. I haven't gotten much chance to actually get to know any, but the majority of them have actually been pretty decent people." She answered. "The benefit of being an 'Ask Questions _First_ , Shoot _Later_ ' kinda hunter is that you actually get to know the stories behind the so-called monster." She said with her best award-winning smile. "In my eyes, as long as nobody is causing any serious trouble, I have no problems with them. It's only when they start killing innocent people that I start shooting. If you're serious about knowing the people, I say why not."

He looked surprised but impressed. "Huh. Have to say, you're the first hunter I've met who hasn't instantly tried to kill a 'monster' based on what we are. Yeah, the pack's good people. Saved their alpha's life once, got free burgers for one human lifetime in exchange. To my knowledge, and I was certain to double check, they do not kill humans to take their hearts. The diner idea was actually fairly wise, as they can order whole animals, serve the usual cuts to their customers, and slake their own hunger on the hearts. It's the only reason they have managed to survive undetected so close to Singer for so long. No human casualties, no case."

"That's a really good system." She said, nodding. "I met one pack, they did something similar but it was a farm, rather than a diner. Owned their own cattle, sold the meat, kept the hearts." She told him. "Well, in that case..." She took the next turn, taking them to the diner and parking. "Why not, right?" She asked with a smile. She grabbed her purse, which happened to be empty of its weapons, save for her favorite dagger which she always kept on her. "Shall we?"

The demon nodded, still grinning, and eased himself out of the truck expertly, concealing the fact that he was still wounded. Limping only slightly, he kept to the hunter's side, and kept an eye open. "Linda! How long has it been?"

A middle-aged woman looked up from where she stood near the cash register of the mostly empty diner, disbelief and then joy sweeping across her face in quick succession. "Damian, you scoundrel! I told you to come visit more often! It's been years, you little demon! Literally, _years_!" She moved across the floor quickly, sweeping the demon into a motherly hug, as which he seemed embarrassed, but he did not protest. "I was busy." She stepped back and fixed him with a glare. "You'd better have been dying, boy. That's the only excuse I'll accept for you having been away so long." He looked at her, amused. "I _was_ dying."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, but embraced him again anyway. Then, Linda turned to the woman beside Damian, and started to smile, beginning, "And who are you, dear? Did Damian finally bring back a lady-friend?" However, the instant she took a closer look at Alice, she moved with supernatural speed, faster than the eye could follow, quickly shifting the demon behind her and baring fangs. All in the span of a second, every other person who had been seated in the booths or at tables, 7 in total, were standing around Linda, eyes glowing and fangs bared. "She's a hunter." the alpha snarled.

Alice put her hands up, showing she meant no harm. "I'm off duty!" She said instinctively, taking a step back. "Yes, I'm a hunter, but not like most. My name is Alice Thompson." She said, keeping her hands where they could all see them. "I only go after killers. From what I've heard, I have no hunt here. Today, I'm just a girl out with her friend. I have one dagger, in my purse. Take it to hang on to if you want. I only carry it for self defense, and because it belonged to my mother. I have no intention on using it on you, I swear." She met the eyes of every member present before resting on Linda.

"How do we know you aren't lying, _hunter_?" she spat the word like a curse, clearly preparing to fight for her pack's lives regardless of Alice's reassurances. "Hey now, let's just take a step back here, yeah? Linda, I'd like you to meet Alice. Alice, this is Linda, alpha of the Jones pack here in Sioux Falls. Her Second, James, and the others, who aren't important." The slight bit of humor, combined with the titles of respect, seemed to ease a bit of the tension in the room. Damian stepped out from behind the alpha werewolf, moving to Alice's side once again.

"She knows." he stated simply, flashing his own eyes black in sharp contrast to the glowing blue wolves' eyes all around them. "And I still live. I will vouch for her, and give my own freedom as security in her name. She will not harm any of you while she is a guest in your territory, unless it becomes necessary to defend her own life. So do I swear." Linda still looked dubious, but the word of the demon seemed to be enough to put her mind at ease, and she finally nodded once, briefly.

"Your oath is accepted. Welcome, in peace." the alpha said, formally. Then she gave Damian yet another exasperated look, as her family and pack dispersed. "I swear you'll be the death of me one of these days, boy. Bringing home a _hunter_. You're trying to give me a heart attack, I just know it." she muttered, as she moved to grab a couple of menus, then led the pair over to an empty booth. "Casey will be with you in just a moment." she stated, still wary of the hunter, but appearing willing to give her a chance. She swatted Damian across the back of the head before striding off, still muttering under her breath, and Damian struggled (without much success) to hold back laughter.

Alice gave Damian a bit of a look as they sat down. "Well that went well." She said with a small, breathy laugh. "I half expected her to rip out my throat. Thanks for stepping in." She said, setting her purse down beside her, out of reach enough that her dagger would be no threat to anyone. "I can see what you mean though. Good people. Protective of their family, I respect that." She said, looking around the diner as the others started settling down again, still keeping a wary eye on her. "And of course, now that I've disturbed the peace... Though, can't say I blame them. I've met some mean hunters in my travels. That's why I typically hunt alone. Not very many agree with my methods."

Still choking off half-giggles, Damian nodded agreeably. "Aye lass. But don't be too hard on them. Most in your line of work can't afford to be nice. They end up dead." Looking around, he shot a wave to an attractive young woman, who had been one of the first to Linda's side, who proceeded to blush and look down. "How are you today, Jemi?" Damian asked, and she giggled and replied. "Much better now that you're here." The werewolf and the demon looked at each other with straight faces for all of 5 seconds, before both burst into laughter. "Alice, meet my sister in all but blood, Jemima. Jemi, this is Alice, who has now replaced you as my one true love." They both continued to laugh, and then the werewolf eyed the hunter consideringly. "You aren't like most hunters, are you? Forgive me for eavesdropping, but it is difficult to avoid with our senses. How have you managed to remain merciful, living a life such as you have Alice?"

Alice had watched the two curiously, trying to figure out their relationship with each other. No sort of jealousy or malice, just simple curiosity. She smiled at 'Jemi.' Though, she had to admit, a small pink tinge rose in her cheeks at the 'one true love' comment. "It's nice to meet you." She said with a friendly smile. "And honestly, determination, really good instincts, and a lot of stubbornness." She let out a small laugh. "I've had my share of nasty encounters, with both hunters and other beings alike. Many of them seem to operate on the same 'Shoot First, Ask Questions Later' motto. But if there's one thing I've learned, no matter what you are... Human, Demon, Werewolf, Vampire, Ghost, doesn't matter what it is. Everyone has the capability to be a monster. And everyone has the capability to be a good person. It's not what or who you are. It's how you treat others that matters." She told her.

The werewolf's eyes widened in shock, and she glanced at Damian. "Is she for real? A hunter who actually makes certain that the monster they are about to kill is actually a _monster_?" She leaned back, looking impressed. "A pleasure to meet you indeed then, Alice. Please excuse me, but I really should get back to work." Jemi rose to her feet, and Damian shook his head in amusement as she left. "Every bit as crazy as I am, and then some lass." he confided in Alice, knowing full well that Jemi could still hear him.

"She tried to tear my throat out, _with her teeth_ , when we first met. Seems they had come across demons before, and it didn't end well. But after I saved Linda, Jemi decided I was her new best friend. I've been like a big brother to her ever since, regardless of species, though its a rare occasion that I happen to be in the area." A young man, looking a few years older than Jemi, strolled up to their table casually. "Sorry for all the posturing earlier, Alice was it? We're just a bit protective of our pack, and our past experiences with hunters have been... unpleasant. My name's Casey. What can I get ya?"

Alice looked up at Casey. "Not to worry. In all honesty, you're not the only one who's had unpleasant experiences with hunters." She said, tapping her black eye with a forgiving smile. "Can't blame you for being cautious." She did a quick glance down at the menu. "Hmm... Everything looks good... How about... Grilled Chicken Cesar Salad and... A sweet iced tea for me please." She decided, giving him another smile.

The wolf grinned, nodding as she spoke, and jotting down the order shorthand. "And for you, lovely Dame? The usual?" The demon chuckled at the nickname, taking halfhearted swipe at Casey which was easily dodged, and then nodded. "No finer food in this whole country, Basket Case." It was the wolf's turn to look offended, though it was all in jest, and he jotted something else down before moving away. Damian turned back to Alice.

"Not bad for a pack of werewolves, eh? Casey had a tough childhood, but he's really started to mellow down of late. I know the alpha was worried for a while when he was in his teens, shortly after I had saved her. I had been staying with them for a couple of weeks following, and I noticed he had been acting out in school, taking advantage of his superior abilities to bully the other kids. I am ashamed to say, it didn't bother me much at the time, but I knew that if he started being too obvious, it would endanger the pack, and I was grateful for their hospitality, so I alerted Linda to the situation. I'm glad to see how much has changed since." He smiled at the hunter, asking, "So have you ever eaten with wolves before?"

Alice couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the two as they teased each other. It reminded her of how siblings would act. It was obvious that Damian was practically part of the act. "I'm sad to say, no. I've met a pack or two that had been pretty good people, but I was in the middle of a hunt both times and really didn't get the chance to. Plus, being a hunter, I don't think they were particularly fond of me so I figured it would be best if I moved on." She sighed softly, looking down at the table. "It's stuff like this that kinda breaks my heart. So many hunters, if given the chance, would take out this entire pack without hesitation. I understand the caution, and in some cases you aren't given the choice to stop and have a chat before the weapons are out but... These people are exactly that... People. Far to many hunters make it about the actual act of hunting, not helping people. Far too many innocent people get killed in the process."

Damian nodded in agreement. "Too true lass, but I would say it again. Do not be too hard on your own kind. They need to be harsh to survive, and many of us are, by our very nature, monsters. Some would say we are time bombs, just waiting to go off. There have been many over the years, like this pack, who fought against instinct and, to us, _reason_ , to live in peace with the humans, but it has been a very rare occasion that there aren't any accidents resulting in human casualties. It is... difficult, to challenge one's very nature. It can be done, but it is nigh impossible. Still, for those who are successful, it can be trying, for most hunters do not discriminate, as you said, they kill quickly and without mercy."

The demon sighed, leaning back and crossing his arms. He eyed the human sitting across from him curiously. Every time he thought he had her figured out, she would go and do something like this, proving once again that she was not at all like any other hunter he had ever come across. She was impossible to pin down, and it fascinated him. Realizing he was staring, he dropped his gaze.

Alice let out a bit of a sigh. "I know. Hunters can be just as misunderstood as the monsters are." She said. She hadn't noticed him staring, as she was currently staring at a spot on the table. She shook her head slightly, looking back up at him with a shrug. "Anyway, what can you do? Can't go around changing every hunter you meet. 'Be the change you want to see in the world.' Right?" She said, giving the demon her own signature smile.

Damian smirked back. "Ghandi, now he was an interesting fellow. I met him a few years before he kicked it... It was... educational. I think he could tell there was something not entirely _human_ within me. He seemed rather wary." the demon snickered. "Still, he had a few good points. Glad to see some of his wisdom has continued."

"You _met_ Ghandi?" She asked, completely shocked, and a bit jealous. She shook her head incredulously, letting out a short laugh. "You truly are full of surprises, aren't you?" She said, smiling. "Now that I think of it, I bet you've had quite a few adventures." She said, letting her imagination run wild for a moment. What would she do with a century of time to spare?

The demon chuckled at her incredulity, grinning wickedly. "Now lass, I don't kiss and tell. If you want to hear of my _adventures_ , you're out of luck." At her entirely gob smacked expression, the demon dropped his head to the table, shaking violently with silent laughter.


	22. The Art of Paying for Lunch

Several moments later, gasping for breath, he sat back up, wheezing and still laughing. "It was a jest, lass. I have done many things in my time, but there are creatures that yet walk the earth that have been around much longer than I, and have seen and done much more. A certain First Son, for one." he sobered, thinking grimly of Cain. Thank _something_ that he had fallen in love several years back and ceased his murderous rampaging, for none could stand against the First Blade. Suddenly realizing what he had done, he looked up quickly to gauge the hunter's reaction to his last comment.

"First Son?" Alice asked, her brow raised. "Why am I getting the feeling that you weren't supposed to mention that?" She could see it on his face, the way he was staring at her, judging her reactions. Clearly he'd let something slip that he obviously wasn't supposed to. Naturally, that made her even more curious. But she wouldn't push it if he wouldn't talk. She'd probably find out sometime down the line, and if not, then she wasn't meant to. But nonetheless, she was still curious.

"Ah... it's complicated?" He glanced up as Casey approached, carrying their food with an intrigued look in his eyes. "What's this about a son?" The werewolf set their plates and drinks down, but when Damian gave him a _look_ , he nodded and retreated. "Suffice it to say, if you ever hear someone refer to the First Son, and it sounds as if he might even be on the same continent as you, _run_. I dare not say more at this time, for fear of attracting some unwanted attention from... others..." He shook his head slightly, glancing up for a moment. "Forgive me, lass. I should mind my words more carefully in the future. But the food's here, shall we eat?"

Alice took a mental note. _The First Son_. She'd keep it in the very back of her mind for future reference. Something to add to her journal. "Noted." She said, giving Damian a smile. "And yes. It smells amazing." She said, looking down at her salad. It looked amazing too. She took her first bite, making sure to get a bit of everything. She smiled warmly, nodding. "Mmhmm." She said enthusiastically through her bite.

The demon's eyes softened as he watched her resolve, her unflinching courage in the face of unknown dangers. Although, he supposed that if he himself did not know the extent of Cain's abilities, he would not be as frightened either. Looking down at his plate, he smiled happily, scooping up the double bacon cheeseburger and tearing into it with relish. He moaned in ecstasy. "Burgers like these can only be found in three places in the continental U.S." he confided in the hunter, barely taking a second to speak before returning to consuming it as if it would disappear if he wasn't fast enough. Within twenty seconds, it was gone. "How's your salad, lass?"

Alice had paused, watching in awe at how quickly he'd devoured the burger. She briefly wondered if he'd actually just inhaled it, and if he'd tasted it at all. She let out a light laugh, shaking her head slightly as she took another bite. "This salad is fantastic." She told him after swallowing, complete sincerity filling her voice. "I don't know what they marinate this chicken with, but I wish that I did. It's fantastic. And even the dressing, it must be house made." She took another bite, silencing herself momentarily, replacing verbal praise with enthusiastic nods.

"Why thank you, Alice!" came a call from the kitchen, far enough that it should have been very much out of earshot for humans. "It's always nice to know when good food is appreciated." Damian grinned. "They may be werewolves, but they can cook better than they can fight, truth be told. And, as I found out first hand, they are _very_ good at fighting." He turned to his frilly margarita-looking drink, and began to sip sedately at it. "So, lass. Where to next, after we finish here?"

Alice let out a light laugh at the call from the kitchen. Clearly, no secrets were to be had in this place. She took a sip of her iced tea and shrugged at Damian. "I'm not sure. Don't really know the area, so it's hard to say. Depends on what's around, I suppose." She said, taking another bite of her salad as she thought about it. She watched him sip his 'frilly margarita-looking drink with amusement in her eyes. There was something far too entertaining about watching a demon sip a frilly, colorful drink.

Damian caught her look, and shot her a glare that was more playful than heated. "Don't judge me. The self-titled 'King of the Crossroads' himself drinks much more girly drinks than this, and he's quite a bit higher on the pecking order than me." The demon smirked, then took another drink. Whiskey shots were all well and good for hunters, but after this many years, he really didn't much care what others thought of his drink choices. Stretching out his legs under the table, and wincing only slightly when his left leg protested, Damian grinned up at Alice. "Just about there, I think."

Alice gave him a soft smile in return, sipping her iced tea. "It's good to see how quickly you're healing." She said, choosing to say nothing more on his drink choice. Her mind once again went back to the mangled pile of torn flesh and broken bone that he'd been only a couple days before. She shuddered a little. It was nightmare fuel for sure. "I only wish it hadn't happened in the first place but... I suppose there's nothing more to be done about it. After all, I killed the bastard who did it so..." She couldn't stop the slight swell of pride at the reminder. She didn't really let herself celebrate after that, but it wasn't something she'd forget anytime soon.

"And it was excellently done, lass. Thank you for that, by the way. Saved my skin, that's for certain." He grinned at her. "Just barely caught the look on his face as he fell. It was a thing of beauty; the shock, disbelief, _fear_. To see that on Yellow Eyes, well, it was a once in a lifetime type of thing, that I'll never forget." Chuckling, he rose to his feet and moved to speak with Linda a moment, and though the hunter couldn't hear what was said, they appeared to be arguing over whether or not Damian could pay for the food. Finally, even as the demon was holding out a few bills, the werewolf quite literally turned her back and walked away, and the demon was left staring after her, befuddled.

Alice smiled at the two, unable to hold back a small giggle. She took the last bite of salad and sipped her iced tea. Damian was right. The look on Yellow Eyes' face when she aimed that gun between his eyes, it was something that made every breath up to that point worth it. Being able to meet his eyes as he realized she'd been the one to kill him? It was an amazing feeling, everything she'd dreamed of. For that split second before rushing to Damian's side, she'd felt a weight lift off of her. She didn't feel one single shred of guilt, especially with what he'd done to Sam, and what he'd caused Dean to do by default. She couldn't let herself think about that now though... So, she sipped her tea again, smiling up at Damian to distract herself. "You should know better than to argue with her by now Damian. I knew as soon as you pulled out the cash that she wouldn't accept it willingly. You've gotta be sneakier than that." She said, grinning.

The demon rolled his eyes, chuckling. "I thought _I_ was the demon, and _you_ were the noble, honorable hunter. What have you to do with deviousness?" Then, becoming more serious, but with a mischievous glint in his eyes, Damian leaned closer. "Just what did you have in mind, lass?" Whispering then, barely audible, he leaned closer to murmur in her ear, "And bear in mind that they have heard every word we have said thus far."

Alice did everything she could not to notice _just how close_ he'd gotten. She didn't let herself think about it as she grinned. "I'm fully aware that they've heard. So, they probably expect us to do something very sneaky to hide the money somewhere." She said this in a normal speaking voice, giving Damian a grin and holding her hand out for the money. "They expect us to hide it somewhere with the intention of them not finding it until it's too late." She reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and a small roll of tape. She set it down on the table, placing the money on top of it, then folded the piece of paper over the money, then folded the whole thing over a couple times. Then, she put tape all around it so it was secure. "So..." She still spoke normally. "Instead, we'll hide it in plain sight, and make it all the more difficult to get at." She started taping the note to the bottom of the table, right near the middle, out of reach until they got out of the way. "By the time they get to the money, we're already in our truck and on the highway. Sure they could track us down, or force us to stop... but would you really go through all that trouble to give someone a free meal?" She asked with a bright smile.

The demon pulled back slightly, and grinned all the wider. "You don't know these wolves, lass. They might let it go for now, but if they ever catch your scent in the area, rest assured they will find you, and force more delicious food on you free of charge, for certain this time." There was silence for perhaps the span of a second, then another call came from the kitchen, "That's the truth!" Damian laughed, then reached to clasp Alice's shoulder, and in a heartbeat, they were gone, the money and note sitting wrapped up on the table where they had just been. In the hunter's truck, the demon allowed himself to chuckle a bit, then asked, "North, South, East, or West?"

Alice had started laughing just before he grasped her shoulder, and the laugh caught in her throat when they transported, the familiar flash of black surrounding her before the inside of her truck. In the rush, when he asked his question, she didn't hesitate. "West?" She said, then let out the rest of her bubbly laugh reaching for her keys, somewhere in the bottom of her purse. "I don't know. Like I said, don't know the area that well." She said with a giggle.

"West it is then, lass." Settling back into his seat, the demon gave the hunter a lazy grin, then folded his arms and dropped his head comfortably. "I hope you don't mind if I crash for a while. Teleporting out of there, while fun, may not have been entirely wise at this point." His eyes began to slip shut of their own accord, the exhaustion suddenly catching up to him. "Feel free to wake me if you need anything, lass." he muttered, as he began to drift off. "Sorry..."

Alice gave him an understanding smile as she started the truck, turning the radio on low. "I don't mind." She said softly. Then, she pulled out of the diner parking lot, headed somewhere West. She kept an eye out for anything interesting as they drove. As he slept soundly, she couldn't help but glance at him from time to time. After awhile she shook her head softly, letting out a whisper of a sigh. She knew that when it came to her feelings for him, she was doomed from the start. She knew her kindness would lead her into trouble some day but... This? She was to far gone not to admit it to herself now. There was no point denying it. She'd fallen in love with the demon sitting next to her. If her reputation as a hunter wasn't bad before, it was totally screwed now. She let out a silent laugh. She had no idea what kind of future was in store for her... For the both of them... But she really didn't care. She had friends now, for the first time in years. People she could trust. People she could go to when things got tough. If all Damian ever ended up being to her was a friend, even just for a while, she'd be happy.


	23. Driving Home

_Shaking with fear, Damian backed away, trying to escape, but just a little too slow, and a little too late. Yellow Eyes stood, grinning at him with that twisted smile of his, and laughing cruelly at the weaker demon's pitiful escape attempts. "N-No more, please!" he begged, despite knowing how futile it was. Yellow Eyes stopped, but the dangerous glee in his eyes only became more pronounced. "Come now, boy. You didn't really think mere_ humans _could kill me, did you? You've dropped your guard, and you will pay." Damian tried to retreat again, but his back slammed into a wall, and he could only stare his tormentor down as Azazel moved closer. "Don't look so frightened, boy. I'm not here to hurt you."_

 _A sudden, sick feeling came over Damian, and he had a terrible premonition of what was about to happen. "No..." he whispered, as Azazel moved to the side, and a bloody, twitching mass of broken flesh came into view. Two eyes, one blue and one black, stared back at him accusingly out of what had once been the beautiful face of the woman he loved. "Why didn't you come, Damian? I called for you, but you didn't come. You let this happen." Alice's voice, once soothing and ringing of safety and protection, now had only pain and bitterness in it. "I..." he couldn't speak, and then Azazel began moving towards the bloody heap. "No!" Damian screamed, trying with all his strength to lunge for Alice, to protect her, to shield her from further harm with his own body, but he found himself frozen in place, able only to watch as Yellow Eyes began to tear into her helpless form._

He woke screaming.

In the shocked panic induced by his screaming, Alice swerved, instinctively pulling into the shoulder of the road and slamming on the breaks. She put it in park, reaching over to Damian. "Damian! Hey hey, hey... It's okay, you're okay." She whispered, trying to calm him. She then unbuckled and jumped out of the truck, running to the other side and opening his door. She reached in and wrapped her arms around him. "Shh... You're okay, it's okay. A nightmare. It was just a nightmare." She whispered, delicately running her fingers through his hair, softly rubbing his back. "You're safe, we're all safe. It's okay... It's okay..." She assured him, cradling him in her arms.

Damian blinked, his screams ceasing almost at once at the hunter's embrace, and he struggled to come to. "Alice?" he murmured, throat hoarse. Pulling back a moment, he cupped the back of her head with one hand and her opposite shoulder with the other, gazing intently and desperately into her eyes. "Alice. You are here. You are alive." he whispered, trying to confirm it for himself. Ducking his head, he moved closer again, embracing her once more, and taking comfort from her strength. It took several moments, but he was soon able to calm himself enough to think rationally, and when he did, he flushed a bit from embarrassment and moved back. "I... Ah... Sorry about that, lass. Nightmares, eh?" he grinned, but it was smaller than his usual, and it was clear he was still a bit shaken up from the dream. "Thank you, Alice. Your presence is a comfort." he admitted.

Alice pulled him into another tight hug. "You never have to apologize for having nightmares. With what you've been through, no one could blame you." She said softly, then pulled back, giving him a soft smile. "Okay?" She gently placed her hand on his cheek, swiping away a stray tear that'd made it's way down his cheek. Then, as though it hadn't been there at all, she brought her hand back down. She cleared her throat, going back to her side of the truck. But, she didn't start it yet. Instead, she turned to him. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked softly. "I know it's totally cliché, but I know that talking about it helps."

He gave her a crooked smile, only glancing her way out of the corner of his eyes as he kept his head facing the windshield. "You know, lass, you seem awfully concerned with what might be considered 'cliché '. I say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it." He grinned again, much closer to his own usual, cocky smirk, and then took a deep breath. "It was Yellow Eyes." he admitted.

Alice nodded gently. "I can see where that might've come from." She said softly. Yellow Eyes had been the object of her own nightmares for years. Admittedly, even before her parents deaths, a pair of sickly yellow eyes had been a common feature of her nightmares, now she knew why. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close to her, once again letting her fingers run through his hair. "What happened?" She asked softly, keeping her touch soft and gentle, giving him as much comfort as she could.

Damian sighed, and his shoulders drooped slightly as the tension fled his muscles at the familiar, comforting stroking through his hair. _Great. Now I'm a cat..._ Still, the demon couldn't bring himself to care. It was much too soothing, and it reminded him of before, when he had been so gravely wounded, and he had sensed her at his side. "It was... dark, lass. Likely nothing you wish to hear of..." When Alice simply gave him an expectant look, he glanced away, slumping in defeat. "He had you, lass. Like me. On the ground, in a heap, bloody and broken. And I couldn't do a single thing to stop him. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how loud I screamed and begged, no matter my fight, I was utterly helpless to do more than watch as he took you apart..." He broke off, choking back a sob at the vivid memory.

Alice wrapped both arms around him, holding him close. She thought about how she felt when she'd seen him like that... Heartbroken, utterly crushed... She could almost feel her heart being squeezed with the pain at the mere thought of losing him. "I'm so sorry Damian." She whispered, her own throat pulled tight. "But that is _never_ going to happen. Yellow Eyes is dead. And here we are, living, breathing. _Safe_." She told him, then pulled back a little, placing a hand on his cheek, gently guiding him to look up at her. "Look at me." She said softly, locking eyes with him. "Breathe. Five seconds in, seven seconds out." She guided him softly, breathing along with him. "He can't get to us. We have two of the _best_ hunters in the world on our side. And you know what? Not to give myself too much credit but damnit I've survived six years out on my own. I started when I was seventeen. Sure I've gotten a few scrapes and bruises here and there but considering how young I was when I went of on my own? Hell, how young I still am now? I'd say I've got some damn good chances. Not to mention the bordering-on-literally-psychic instincts." She let out a soft laugh. "I think the odds are in our favor."

"May they ever be..." he grinned through his un-shed tears. "Don't sell yourself short, lass. Living legends aside, you're the most capable, _wise_ hunter I've ever met, and I've come across quite a few in my time." Breathing as directed, he calmed, knowing that he tended to use humor as a defense mechanism when he was struggling to cope. Making an effort to be serious, he wrapped his arms around her in return, burying his face in her hair. "Thank you, Alice."

She smiled softly, letting herself relax in his arms, still holding him close. "You're welcome." She replied softly. The closeness still caught her off guard a little. Though she blamed that on six years of solitude. She'd forgotten how nice a good hug could really be. And with Damian, it was always warm, comfortable, safe. Even now, as she was the one offering the comfort and support, he still brought her an unbelievable sense of calm. More so than she had ever felt without him.

The demon smiled at her response, genuinely at peace for a moment, and then he pulled back again. "Well, lass. As Dean would say, enough of the chick flick moments?" She chuckled, before starting the truck again and continuing. "I may have to stay awake for a while now, lass. I hate to add more misery to this day, but while we have time, we should, perhaps, consider what can be done to help Dean..."

Alice nodded solemnly. "Yes, that." She said, letting out a small sigh. "What _can_ we do? Is there any way to get out of the deal? Some sort of loophole?" She asked as they drove. Far as she knew, a deal with a demon is pretty unbreakable. You get a set number of years, and then when it's time to pay the piper, you get sent to hell.

The demon sighed, looking down in misery. "I fear that there is little that can be done, lass. Demon contracts, typically, are gone over and over again down below before ever they are presented to humans here. It is _highly_ unlikely that this is a deal that could be weaseled out of. Furthermore, I have been able to pick up a few stray conversations here and there, just glimpses of thoughts really, from others, and there is more bad news. While the standard contract gives the human their heart's desires, and ten years here to enjoy it before being dragged to the Pit by the hounds, Dean was known. I fear, in his desperation to save his brother, he agreed to a contract of _one_ year, in exchange for Sam's life. He will by dead by this time next year." Damian shuddered at Alice's gasp of dismay, but he forced himself to continue, knowing that she deserved the truth, or as much of it as he could give her. "Neither can the contract be revoked by threatening or killing the demon who holds it, for it is Lilith herself. Lucifer's right hand."

Alice shook her head lightly. She could feel herself shaking, not just with fear for the other hunter, but rage. "One. Year." She whispered. "One _damn_ year. That _idiot_." Her voice broke slightly as she spoke. She hadn't known the brothers that long, but they'd been so kind to both her and Damian. Since her parents' deaths, she had a habit of avoiding friendships like the plague. Typically, if she caught wind of another hunter working on the same case as her, she would just drop it and leave before they knew she was there. Even if she did end up in contact with some, and ended up hunting with them, she'd finish the case and get gone before there was time to build friendship. But now? She'd let her guard down, let herself open up to them, let herself care. Now one of them would be ripped away within the span of a _year._ And what about Sam, and Bobby? She blinked heavily, fighting tears as she drove, knowing she had to keep her eyes clear to see the road. "And there's absolutely _nothing_ we can do?"

Damian looked up, blinking, and his eyes went black. He stared unseeingly over at the hunter for several long moments, then shook his head, blinking his eyes back to blue. Glancing at Alice, he winced at the sight of her rage. "I doubt it, lass. Things have been set into motion that have been thousands of years in the planning. That is not an exaggeration. Literally, over 6000 years. Even if we were somehow to find Lilith, her power makes Yellow Eyes look weaker than I was when he was finished with me the second time. She even makes certain... _others_... look weak in comparison." He glanced down, and then took a deep breath, visibly steeling himself for pain or discomfort. "While there is nothing we can do now, save remain by the Winchesters, and perhaps try to protect them if at all possible, should these plans fail, I could, perhaps... visit _home_ after Dean's death. Try to get him out, bring him back... But that would most definitely attract the wrong kind of attention, and I would likely not return. If there is no other way, however... Perhaps it could be done."

Alice shook her head immediately. "No, Damian, seriously don't you _dare_. We'll figure something else out. If you go back to hell, they'll tear you apart without hesitation. Neither of you would make it out. It would be suicide." She shook her head again. "We'll find another way." She glanced at Damian. "I mean it Damian. I'm willing to forgive a lot. But you killing yourself in another heroic attempt? Especially knowing that you would have next to _no chance_ at survival? I could never let that go. One self sacrificing idiot is more than enough. We'll figure something else out. Got it?"

He grinned. "Now lass, don't you know that the word of a demon is worthless? Even if I swear not to now, if it's not a contract, I could break it as easy as-" he snapped, and a single pure white carnation appeared in his left hand, which he swiftly tucked behind her ear before she could protest. "-that." His smirk grew wider at her irritated expression. "Trust me, lass. That's our very, _very_ last option. But Dean Winchester has much work yet to do on this earth, and I do not think it can all be accomplished in one year's time. Not to mention that I find I have grown almost... fond, of those two. They're like a foot mold. They just kind of grow on you." He managed to draw a very grudging chuckle out of the hunter for that, although the glint in her eyes suggested she knew something he didn't about that phrase. However, she sobered quickly, and fixed him with a pointed glare. "All right, all right. How's this? I solemnly swear that until and unless all other options are _thoroughly_ exhausted, I will not traverse into hell to be torn apart by my own kind in a suicide mission to attempt to save Dean Winchester. Good?"

Alice let out a very heavy sigh as she turned around to head back to Bobby's. "Fine. _Only_ when we are entirely out of options. AND you have to tell me before you leave. I deserve at least a proper goodbye." She said, holding her pointed glare between glances at the road. She also glanced up at the rear view mirror, getting a glimpse of the white carnation in her hair. A light blush dusted her cheeks and she shook her head gently, letting out a breathy laugh. "You're ridiculous. You know that?" She said softly, glancing at him again. This time, the harshness was gone from her eyes. Damn it all, she couldn't even stay mildly frustrated with the goof. She shook her head again, focusing her eyes on the road.

He grinned widely at her statement, gleefully explaining, "I take pride in it, lass. Life is far too boring for far too many people. It's good to live a little. Especially when one is so often surrounded by death and darkness, why not take the rare moments of peace to enjoy light and life?" Glancing at her, trying to gauge what her response would be, the demon daringly added, "And you do look quite lovely with that flower, lass. Puts princesses to shame." he tried for a joking tone, but it came out much more serious than he had hoped, though he tried to make up for it with a chuckle.

The statement made Alice's cheeks glow a few shades darker, she let out a soft laugh, surprised by the compliment, and not sure how sincerely he'd meant it. "Well uhm... Thank you." She said, keeping her eyes on the road. She was certain, of course, that she looked nothing remotely resembling a princess, with her worn jeans, boots, T-shirt and sweater, but she couldn't help but feel flattered. Did he have _any_ idea how he made her feel? Was he doing this simply to tease her? Perhaps... But still...

His smile faded a bit, as his concentration shifted focus to the blood rising to her face. Was the hunter... blushing? The demon was always up for some light teasing and banter with the few who walked this earth that he cared about, but was Alice embarrassed at what he had done? Offended? For a brief moment, he wondered if it would be possible that the blush could be a result of her feelings for him, but he brushed the thought away almost instantly, berating himself for a fool. Who could love a demon? "You know, lass" he murmured casually, avoiding eye contact. "If I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable in any way, you should speak up."

At the incredulous look sent his way, the demon lifted his hands defensively. "Not to say that I don't see you as a perfectly capable fighter able to stand up for yourself, but this isn't about fighting for your life. This is about your personal comfort. I can be very tactile with those who have my trust, but I know it is not that way for everyone, and especially not those who know _what_ I am. There are few who want a creature of hell so close. Truly, if you dislike anything personal I have done, please tell me so that I may rectify it. I do not wish to cause you discomfort or harm." He had not thought his teasing would have affected the cool and collected hunter so, but perhaps he had crossed some invisible line, gone too far in some way he could not see...

Alice stared at him for a good moment, absorbing what he'd said. Then, promptly, she burst into a fit of giggles. So much so, that she had to pull onto the shoulder of the highway just to laugh it out. "I'm... I'm sorry for laughing but... You..." She managed out between giggles. "You think you've offended me?" Clearly the demon had seen her blush and had taken it the wrong way. "It was a _compliment_ , Damian. I'm not blushing out of embarrassment or discomfort, I assure you. If I was, it would have been a swat to the back of your head that you got. Not a small giggle and a blush. I was blushing because I'm flattered." She told him with another small shake of her head. Clearly he was utterly clueless. "I do actually have a positive opinion of you, you know that right?" She told him.

The demon blinked rapidly in surprise, caught off guard at the sudden change. "Ah... I'm guessing the last was a rhetorical question? Cause after that lovely speech regarding my worth yesterday, yeah, I figure you at least see me as a halfway-capable partner." he managed a grin, still off balance but trying to regain his footing. "I can't be all bad, now can I?" thoughtfully, the demon cocked his head, "Well, technically, I _could_ be, all counts considered, but still." Looking at the hunter again, he was greatly relieved to find her smiling at him, no animosity in her eyes. "I'm glad lass. I'd hate to wind up getting smacked in the head again. I get enough of that with Linda." he snarked, smiling sincerely once more.

Alice stared at him for a moment, then shook her head again, letting out a short laugh. The words were right on the tip of her tongue. She could so very easily just admit it to him. There would be no need to tiptoe around the subject anymore. If she told him, then he'd know, and hopefully they could just move on. If he didn't return her feelings, that'd be fine and in her eyes they could still be just friends. But... There was something holding back. What if it made things weird? What if he didn't feel anywhere _close_ to the same? What if he flat out rejected her and just... left... She let out a small sigh, shaking away the thoughts and started the truck again, putting on a smile. "We should get going I guess." She said, glancing at him and letting out another soft laugh.

He laughed in response, nodding, hiding his disappointment expertly. You don't live as long as he has and not be able to tell when someone has something they wish to say, but if Alice wished to hold her tongue, he would not force her to speak of whatever was troubling her. There had been a strange look in her eyes, and the demon nervously wondered if she was somehow upset with him. It had not looked like anger, however, but he could think of no other emotion that came close to describing what he had seen. Shaking his head slightly, he agreed. "You're right. We had best get back before the others think we have abandoned them entirely." They drove in comfortable silence the rest of the way back, and it was early evening when Alice finally pulled back into the rickety Salvage Yard. As they entered, subtle alarm systems went off as they sensed the approaching demon, and then Damian was torn violently from the truck when they drove over a concealed devil's trap in the dirt road, landing with a definite _crunch_ in the center of the trap.


	24. Not Alone

"… _Ow_... Singer, you're quite the paranoid one, you know that?" the demon muttered despite knowing the old hunter couldn't hear, rolling over to his back and eyeing his re-broken shoulder. "That had just healed too..."

"Damian!" Alice shrieked in shock as the demon was yanked from the truck. She put on the breaks and jumped out of the truck, practically sprinting to his side. "Are you okay?" She asked, falling to her knees beside him, checking instinctively for any new injuries. Clearly, his shoulder was broken... Again. "Dangit Bobby." She muttered, taking off her sweater and quickly making a make-shift sling. "Sorry Damian, I completely forgot about these. I'll let him know it's just us." She pulled out her phone, calling Bobby's number.

Easing his arm into the sling, the demon chuckled, the pain as nothing compared to what he had suffered previously. "I'm just fine lass, I love being thrown out of moving vehicles. Best part of my day." he teased gently. They could hear a ringtone approaching, and then Singer himself appeared from behind another stack of cars, looking down at his phone but with shotgun in hand. "Easy, Bobby. It's just us." Damian said, gratefully accepting Alice's aid as she helped him back up to his feet. "Paranoid much?" The hunter glared at the demon, but there was a spark of concern in his eyes. "Paranoia's kept me alive this long, boy. Don't expect me to go changing now." His glare softened as he glanced at the demon's wounded shoulder. "You alright?" he demanded gruffly.

The demon fluttered his eyelashes, pretending to swoon, "He really _does_ care!" The hunter's glare returned full force, and he turned on his heel and stalked off, muttering about what his life had become of late. "Wait, Bobby, don't go! I need my knight in tattered jeans to carry me to his castle abode!" the demon cried out plaintively after him, at which Singer shot over his shoulder as he moved into the house. "You can walk just fine, ya idjit. And if you're having troubles, I'm sure Thompson can carry you herself, princess." Damian grinned at Alice. "Hey now, what do you know? We're both princesses!"

Alice let out a laugh, shaking her head. "Come on then, your highness." She said with a returned grin as she helped him back into the truck. "I can't believe you two." She said with a laugh as she climbed in her own side, driving the truck closer to the house and parking. "Come on then, _princess,_ lets get inside before you break something else." She said, going around and helping him out again. "Sorry for the false alarm." She called out as they came through the doors. "Also for disappearing so suddenly. We did leave a note though, just in case. Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" She asked, guiding Damian to a chair.

Sam grinned at their return, clearly about to make a joke about where they had disappeared to and what they had gotten up to, when he noticed the makeshift sling and was at Damian's side in a second. "You alright, man? What happened? You hurt anywhere else? Alice, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alice replied. "He uhm... He got caught in a devil's trap as we were driving in. Flew out of the truck and broke his shoulder when he landed." She said. "Do we have anything to make a proper sling with?" She asked, looking towards Bobby.

The old hunter was still glaring at Damian, but he was already moving towards the pair with a first aid kit in hand. He also carried a medical quality sling, and Damian took one look at it, and then the hunter, and wondered what occasion had caused him to need it. "Thanks, Bobby. Really." the demon said, as the hunter helped him to switch out slings with much more gentleness than his demeanor would suggest. "Just try not to _drive_ over any more devil's traps, ya idjit." the hunter muttered, visibly calming.

Once the demon's arm had been re-wrapped, and a previously unnoticed ice pack had been packed onto the shoulder and bound in place with gauze by the old hunter's extremely skilled hands, Bobby turned away once again, moving towards his own bedroom without further word. "You sure you're alright? Nothing else hurts that hadn't already?" Sam asked with concern. Damian smiled at the hunter that he had so feared previously, grateful for his care. While still nervous around either Winchester, thus far, both brothers had proven themselves men of honor, men who kept their word. "No, Sam. But you have my thanks for your concern. I will be fine, lad." The hunter nodded, then began to move away as well, clearly just as exhausted as Bobby. "You sure nothing went down here, Sam?" The younger Winchester looks at both for a moment, and then shook his head again. "No" he said dully. "Nothing has changed." With a significant glance towards his brother's room, the young man then continued on his way, the weary slump to his shoulders belying his young age

Alice let out a small sigh, looking up at him. "Sam?" She asked softly. "I'm sorry. I know it can't do much good now but... I really am. You were left alone out there. Suffering, fighting for your life and... Meanwhile I was out at a cabin somewhere wrapped in a blanket..." She shook her head a little, taking a shaky breath, her eyes stinging with the threat of tears. "I've been thinking about that ever since. Maybe I could have done something, or helped in some way... I just... I should have been there and I'm sorry." She meant every word.

The hunter's eyes flashed, and within seconds, he was standing beside Alice, his hands grasping her shoulders as he looked at her intently. In the background, Damian tensed, all pretense of a friendly, easy-going young man gone, as his eyes flashed black and the demon settled into a light crouch, ready to leap if Winchester made any move that appeared as if it would harm Alice. "Alice Thompson, listen to me, because I am only going to say this once. You. Are. Not. To. Blame. Got it? None of this, and I do mean _none_ , was your fault. Yellow Eyes needed to die, I have spent my whole life hunting him, and with or without your help, Dean and I would have found him. You have nothing to be sorry for. Damian was hurt, bad. He took you with him to only he knows where, and I doubt you could have found us again without his help. The fastest way for you to return to aid us was to help him heal, and you did. Neither of you is to blame, for any of this. There is no one to blame but me. I had the chance to kill Jake, and I showed mercy. I paid for it with my life, and that should have been the end of it. But Dean wouldn't let me stay dead, so now it is _his_ soul on the line. At no point, during any of this, was anything your fault. Understand?"

That said, the tall hunter moved closer, and Damian tensed further, for despite Winchester's kind words in the face of his own tragedy, the demon could not help but be wary of his proximity to Alice. Sam just wrapped her in a hug though, holding her in the comforting embrace for a moment, before turning to leave the room once more, seeking his brother.

Alice stood there for a moment, frozen in place, staring at the spot where the hunter had been. Then, she squeezed her eyes shut against the wave of tears she could feel threatening to overcome her. She took a slow, shaky breath, and when a tear rolled down her cheek, she hastily wiped it away. After a brief moment of composing herself, she finally cleared her throat and turned to Damian, giving him a small halfhearted smile. As much as she wanted to just run and hide, hating how often the demon had already seen her cry, she knew it was pointless. He'd already seen her tears and there was no point in running, as he'd probably just follow her. So, she simply slumped down in one of the kitchen chairs, her thin layer of weak composure already threatening to crack.

Damian knelt beside her in seconds, wary concern still writ all over his face, and he reached out his functioning hand like he wanted to touch, but was too afraid to try. "Alice? You alright there, lass?"

Alice desperately tried to hold herself together. When she met his eyes, she could feel her own start to water again and she took a breath. She nodded softly, despite the answer clearly being no. "I'm okay." The trembling in her voice gave away her lie, so she gave up, looking down at her hands and shaking her head gently, not trusting her voice to say anymore as she squeezed her eyes shut against the tears.

The demon gently, slowly, wrapped his uninjured arm around her in a half-hug. "You know lass, I think the 'no lying' rule should go both ways. If you do not wish to speak of what troubles you, you need not, but please do not say you are well if you are not." he murmured gently. "Samuel Winchester is a good man. Selfless, and self-sacrificing in the extreme, as is his brother. But in all that he just said, he spoke no falsehoods. You had nothing to do with his death, or Dean's deal. Even if you had been there, it is unlikely in the extreme that it would have happened any different. All we can do now is try to be there for them as they deal with this, and do everything in our power to save Dean, be that before the year is through, or _after_."

Alice nodded softly, sniffling quietly as she brought her arms, gently, around him in return. "I know... I just..." She whispered, trying to calm down. "I hate this... All of it. We just keep getting screwed over, over and over again and it just... _Sucks_." She sighed heavily.

The demon huffed a humorless laugh. "Welcome to the life of a hunter, lass." he murmured. Drawing back a bit, he nodded once. "We'll make it through somehow. Always do." Shakily rising, only stumbling once, the demon made it to his feet, and then offered her a hand up. "Perhaps you should get some sleep, lass. It'll do wonders for helping you get a new take on all this, and reigniting your courage and resolve to fight against the worst of odds."

Alice gathered herself up, sniffling and wiping her tears away before talking his hand and letting him help her up. She nodded a little, putting on a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. We've made it this far, who's to say we won't make now?" She said, using his optimism as her own inspiration. "And... Honestly sleep might be a good idea..." She added. "While I still can, hey? Best to start taking my own advice." She managed a small laugh.

He grinned encouragingly. "I second that, lass. Sleep well." Moving towards the kitchen, the demon nodded once more. "Goodnight, Alice."

Alice nodded, giving him a slightly more sincere smile. "Thank you, Damian." She said gently. She headed towards her room without another word. Once she was there, behind her closed door, and under her blankets, she let herself break down. She needed a good cry anyway. So, as she laid there, in the silence, she let it all out. Sobbing softly, letting the tears fall freely. She cried until there was nothing left. Until even the silent tears stopped. Then, exhausted by both the sobbing and the week's events, she slipped off to a light but peaceful sleep.

Damian limped into the kitchen, his black eyes dead and empty. The hunter's tears had shaken him. He had seen her cry several times over the brief course of their acquaintance-ship, but this time had been different. She had truly been upset, without any visible or single cause. The demon felt helpless as to how he could help, and it made him furious. However, that dark apathy had begun to creep back in, and it was difficult for him to feel anything. Opening the fridge door, he stared at the rows of beer cans and bottles without really seeing anything.

"You're letting all the cold out." Dean moved quietly into the kitchen, leaning against the wall by the door. "Something on your mind?" The demon turned to look at the hunter, blinking his eyes back to blue, as he came back to himself. "Dean?" he queried softly, shaking his head. Then, the hunter's question registered. "I'm fine, lad. Nothing to worry about here. It's _you_ we're all concerned about." The hunter narrowed his eyes. "It was my choice. I wasn't gonna let Sam die. None of you have anything to worry about. It was my choice, and I'll face the consequences." The demon closed the fridge with a bang, stalking over towards the hunter he so feared. "Dean Winchester. You do not deserve death anymore than Sam did. And all of us; your brother, your surrogate father, and Alice and I, will not see you fall if there is anything we can do to prevent it. You are not alone." That said, the demon moved past the hunter, limping angrily outside and slamming the front door behind him, surprised he had let him go without a fight.

 _It was dark. But not too dark that she couldn't see. Stars. Billions and billions of stars. She was laying down, on her back. She could feel grass under her fingertips, she could hear the gentle waves of some lake lapping up against a shore. She looked beside her to see Damian laying there, that signature grin on his face, his eyes bright and blue. She looked to her other side to see her parents, looking at her and smiling peacefully. She sat up, confused, only to find Sam, Dean, and Bobby sitting at a picnic table. They tilt their beers towards her in a casual toast. She smiled in return. It was good, peaceful, she was happy. But then, somewhere in the distance she heard a faint growl. She stood up, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. The growl got louder, and closer. But she still couldn't pinpoint it. It sounded like it was coming from all directions. It kept getting closer, and louder. Suddenly, her parents both let out a shriek. She whipped towards them. Deep gashes from invisible claws tore into them as they started to get dragged away. She lunged, desperately trying to grab them, to pull them back. But then, Damian let out a cry. She turned and the same was happening to him. She stood to try and grab him too, but then Dean, and Sam, and Bobby all started to get dragged away too, with her in the middle, trying to desperately save all of them. A laugh, a horrible, dark chuckle emerged from the darkness. Alice could see sickly yellow eyes glowing in amusement. She stood in horror as Azazel stalked closer and closer, she could see a bullet hole right in the middle of his forehead. Then, he raised his hand. There was something in it. A knife? No... A gun..._ A gun... _The Colt. He aimed it at her, with his sick smirk. "You dropped this." He sneered, and pulled the trigger with a_ BANG _._

Alice sat bolt upright in her bed, screaming. When her scream stopped, the sobs started. She covered her mouth, trying to mute the sound. "Just a dream... Just a dream." She whispered through her sobs, desperately trying to calm herself. 

Damian had flashed away to one of his safe houses, the very same one he had brought Alice to when he had been wounded, brooding. The dark mood that had come upon him was gone, but in it's place, he felt only sorrow and helplessness. He could help where he could, do what he could, but in the long run, he was only a demon, less than the scum of the earth. He might be able to do a little bit of good here, with Alice, but she would grow old and die, and he would linger, no doubt turning to darkness again when she was gone. The demon dropped wearily onto the little bed, smiling sadly at the remaining bloodstains from his last visit, and folded his arms, not sleeping, merely letting his mind go blank and his body rest. As he drifted, he suddenly felt Alice's life force, which he had been subtly monitoring in the very back of his mind, as well as Sam's, Dean's, and Bobby's after Sam had died, suddenly grow agitated, where before it had felt peaceful, the kind only deep sleep could bring.

He tuned in a bit closer, realizing that the hunter was dreaming, and then suddenly, he could hear her screaming. He flashed to her side without thought, wrapping her in his embrace yet again, just holding her tightly for a long moment, and then gently running his fingers through her hair soothingly. "Shh, lass. Shh. All is well. Be not afraid. I am here. You are well. I will not leave you again." he murmured gently, without thinking.

Alice trembled, sobbing into his shoulder, clinging to him like a lifeline. "Hellhounds." She whispered through her sobs. "T-they took you... And Sam, and Dean, and Bobby A-and... And my... My parents..." She shook like a leaf, collapsing into him completely, no walls, no barriers. "Th-then... He came back.. He came back a-and... Had the Colt..." She curled up against him, as though trying to hide away from the world.

The demon shifted carefully, taking advantage of his supernatural strength to ease himself so he was reclining against the wall at the head of the bed, a pillow behind his back, with Alice resting her head on his chest, her body curled up beside him. He continued to run his hand gently through her hair, whispering words of comfort and encouragement, until she began to speak of her dream. He listened in horror as she explained, and then responded, "Easy, lass. He's dead. He's dead, and gone, and will never return. Yellow Eyes has literally ceased to exist, for he is not in Heaven, hell, or purgatory. He can never harm you again. Sam and Bobby are safe, and we will make Dean so. Your parents are at peace, and I will allow no harm to come to you. You are safe. Shh. All will be well. You are safe." He closed his eyes a moment, continuing his whispers of encouragement and his hand running soothingly through her hair.

Slowly, she quieted. Her sobs silenced, her tears stopped falling, her trembling stilled, and her heartbeat calmed. As his fingers softly ran through her hair, and he quietly soothed her, she could feel herself relax. The gentleness of his touch was lulling her back to sleep, but she felt like there was something she needed to say. In her half-awakened state, she nuzzled against him just a little more, her eyes closed. "I love you." She whispered, almost automatically, as though it was the most natural thing in the world, as though she'd said it a million times, as though it had taken no thought at all to make it pass her lips. As soon as they left, her mind went still, her breathing slowed as she let herself fall back asleep in his arms.


	25. The Truth Will Out

The demon froze. Utterly and completely froze. His heart stopped beating, he stopped breathing, his eyes did not blink, and his hand ceased its motions. He could not have just heard that. His heart was messing with his head, making him think that she had said what he thought she had just said, but it was impossible. She was a hunter. Her entire purpose in life was to kill his kind. She could not _love_ him. Could she? No! It was ridiculous to think so. Perhaps, as she was still mostly asleep, she did not realize it was he who held her. Perhaps she thought it was Dean. She had certainly been concerned for the hunter. Or Sam, Sam would make sense. Who wouldn't love Sam? Or Dean? Or perhaps another lover she had had in the past. It was foolish to think that she would say such a thing to him. Sadly, the demon looked down at the peacefully sleeping hunter in his arms. It was not to be. His own love for her had clouded his mind and he was projecting. Still, his heart had other plans, and softly, just before settling in to sleep himself, he whispered back, "I love you too."

Alice slept peacefully until just after dawn. She felt the sun seep through the window, warming her skin. Her senses slowly returned to her. Someone was beside her. She was curled up in their arms, her head resting on their chest rather than a pillow, their arms wrapped securely around her. She opened her eyes and, as expected, it was Damian. She remembered the nightmare first, shuddering slightly despite herself. Damian must've heard her scream and came to comfort her. Then, she remembered laying down with him. The peace, the comfort, the security.

She once again relaxed against him, letting her eyes close with a soft sigh. But then, like a slap to the face, she remembered what she'd said. 'I love you.' The words rang clearly in her memory. _Shit_. She thought to herself. She'd meant it, of course she'd meant it, but... Had he heard it? Had he responded? She couldn't remember, she must've fallen asleep after that. Oh god.. She'd screwed it up... Yes, he was still there, he hadn't outright left but... What if that was simply out of pity? A million doubts rushed through her. Her heartbeat raced in her chest and she breathed deeply, desperately trying to calm it, knowing he'd probably be able to hear it pounding.

Damian dreamed. He lay on a bed of soft clouds, and his love rested peacefully in his arms. It had to be a dream. Then, he felt Alice's heart rate picking up, and he opened his eyes. _What on earth?..._ The hunter really _did_ lay in his arms. What had happened? Suddenly realizing why her heart was likely pumping so fast, the demon flashed out of the bed, reappearing again by the door. "I-I'm so sorry, lass." he choked, ashamed of himself. "I did not mean to take advantage of your helplessness in such a way. I swear it!"

Dropping his eyes in shame and self-aimed anger, he continued. "I should not have entered your room without permission, and I certainly should not have laid a hand upon you without your waking consent. I meant only to offer comfort, and I swear to you I did nothing untoward, but my behavior was still inexcusable. I am so, so sorry." Backing towards the doorway, his posture defensive, he added, "If there is anything I can do to make you more comfortable, please tell me. I will not touch you again, I swear it. You do not need to fear me. I'm so sorry!"

"D-Damian wha-... No, no! It's fine, it's okay. I remember what happened last night. I know you held no ill will." She assured him, slowly getting out of bed. She gently placed her hand on his arm. "Relax, I don't fear you. Why on earth would I be afraid of you? You were comforting me. I'd had a nightmare. It was me who fell asleep in your arms." She let out a light, forgiving laugh. "Unforgivable my ass, if you _hadn't_ been there, I probably wouldn't have fallen asleep at all. What on earth gave you the idea that I was afraid of you?"

He looked down t her hand on his arm with wide eyes, and then looked up to her face. "Y-Your heartbeat, Alice. It was racing. I thought-" he cut himself off, taking a deep breath. Of course, it was foolish to think that she would fear him. He had still been half-asleep at the time though, and if her heart had not been speeding up from fear, was it anger? "You aren't... upset with me?" he asked hesitantly.

" _No._ " She emphasized. "Not at all! Grateful would be more like it." She assured him. "Besides, if anyone overstepped any boundaries last night, it was me." She dropped her hand, breaking eye contact. "I uhm... Last night... " She had hoped that hadn't heard but... She knew the chances were very slim. "What I told you... That wasn't exactly when I'd meant for it to come out. If at all..." She might as well fess up to it and avoid the awkward talk later. "I did mean it though... And I don't expect anything to come of it! If you want, we can just pretend it never happened I just... I don't want it to change anything between us." She said, looking up at him nervously, trying to judge his reactions.

The demon glanced at her in confusion for a moment, before the last words she had said before falling asleep came to the forefront of his mind again. "Ah. No worries there, lass. You certainly aren't the first to mistake who held them. I understand. Really, everything's fine. I am only sorry that I am not he who you were thinking of." he added with a teasing smile. "Why would you think anything would have to change between us? It's not as if you meant _me_." he added, with a self-deprecating laugh, hiding his pain at needing to speak so, regardless that it was the truth, to assure her that he was not upset that she had mistaken him for one she loved.

Alice stared at him, trying to comprehend his meaning. "Damian..." She said slowly, furrowing her eyebrows together for a moment. "I... I didn't mistake anyone for anything... I knew who I was talking to, and about." She shook her head lightly, unable to hide the small laugh of disbelief. "Damian, that's exactly my point. I _did_ mean you."

Damian stared at her, shocked that she could be so cruel. Then again, he was a demon. Perhaps she did not think he could feel as deeply, or else did not realize his own feelings for her. Why else would she be joking about something so serious to him? Had she somehow found out how he felt about her, and was now mocking him for it? She had been nothing but kind previously, so perhaps she simply did not realize how deeply this jest cut. "Lass" he muttered, looking away, and blinking back the stinging of tears. "Please do not jest about such things. It strikes deeper than you know. Do you want to hear me say it? Fine. I love you. Have for some time now. I can't help it, and I swore to myself I would never tell you, would never try to pressure you into anything in exchange for my help. I know you _cannot_ love me, a demon, but to so mock me regarding my own feelings is needlessly cruel, and I would not have thought it of a noble soul such as yours." Pulling away from her touch, and crossing his arms defensively around his middle, the demon's shoulders shook with a single silent sob, and he tried to regain his composure. Weeping like a child in front of her for no reason other than his _feelings_ being hurt was certain to lower the hunter's estimations of him.

"Damian..." She whispered, sounding hurt, but then her eyes turned a little darker. "How. Dare. You." She said, stepping closer to him again, staring up into his eyes with a deep, passionate sincerity. "If you think for _one second_ that I would stoop so low as to lie and tease about something like that... Me, Damian. _Me?_ The girl who watched her parents die, the girl who, for the past six years, has blocked herself out from caring about anyone for fear of getting hurt again. The girl who lived alone, hunted alone, damn near died alone because she was too damn afraid of opening up. You must be completely blind! I built a wall, Damian. A damn good strong wall with a very strong door that I hadn't opened at all for _years. YEARS._ And you come along. And I open up just a little. I let myself trust you, I let myself care about you, and now, finally, I let myself love again. And you accuse me of lying about it?"

Tears built in her eyes as she stared him down, she silently cursed herself for being an angry crier. "When I saw how hurt you got distracting Azazel the first time, when we were at that cabin, I spent hours by you side, cleaning away the blood, wishing to ease the pain as much as I could... Then, when I saw you hurt again, despite any sense or logic, I threw myself at Azazel wanting to tear him apart by hand because he'd hurt you. I _killed him_. In that moment it wasn't for my parents, or The Winchesters, or even myself. It was because I thought he had taken away another person that I'd loved. I'd thought that he killed you. When Azazel lay dead and the Winchesters celebrated, I cried beside what I thought was your dead body. When I found out you were alive, it was the happiest I've been for a _very_ long time. I stayed by you, in a chair, overnight while you healed just so I could make damn sure you woke up. Yes, Damian. I don't give a rat's ass that you're a demon and I'm a hunter. If I did, I'd have walked away a long time ago. Yes... I _do_ love you. And you listen to me and you listen close. If you _ever_ fool yourself into thinking that I would be the kind of sick and twisted person to lie about that? Just remember that I haven't opened up to _anyone._ I haven't dared to let anyone into my life for fear of losing you and finally, I've let you in. When I tell you I love you, you'd damn well better believe it." She trembled as she spoke, taking a shaking breath as she shook her head before locking eyes with him again. "I would _never_... _EVER_... Do that to you."

"I... What... You...?" The demon could do nothing but stare in shock. He was dreaming. He had to be dreaming. Alice, brave, beautiful, fearless, selfless _hunter_ of a woman, loved _him_? "Y-You love... me?" The demon would never admit it later, but at that moment in time, he was so on edge and shocked, he quite literally lost consciousness where he stood, falling to the floor as if he had been knocked out.

Less than a minute later, he had regained consciousness, and could only stare up at the hunter in utter disbelief from his slumped position on the floor, making no effort to get up, knowing that his legs wouldn't currently support him. "Why?... What?... I don't understand..." he continued to stare at her, searching her eyes with all his experience in deception, looking for any tiny hint of a lie, but the human spoke nothing but truth. "You love me..." he murmured. "You, Alice, actually... love, me?" He shook his head slightly. "I believe you when you say you do not lie, Alice... but... me?" He continued to stare, wishing he could be more coherent, but truthfully had absolutely no idea what to do with this new development. He had never believed he could be so lucky. He had thought that, at best, they could remain friends, but to have his love returned? "How...?"

Alice stared in shock for a moment as he hit the ground. But when he awoke a moment later, she was less concerned, more just shocked that he'd actually fainted. "Why?" She asked, raising a brow. "Because, Damian. You have been nothing but kind and good to me. You've saved my life now more than I ever could have asked for, you gave me a contract for next to nothing, and gone beyond what I'd ask any friend to do. You've held me when I cried, you come at the slightest threat of danger, you... You put me at ease, I feel so safe and warm and... Dare I say, happy whenever I'm with you. You... " She sighed, throwing her hands into the air and shaking her head. "I don' know you just..." She choked on her own tears, clearing her throat. "You've made me feel something that I haven't felt for years. You make me feel _home."_ She knelt down beside him, taking his hands in her own. "Damian, I know that you're a demon, and that I'm a human. Not only a human but a hunter. I've tried to tell myself why it would never work, I tried to ignore it for awhile, and I tried to convince myself to just let it go but I can't... And I don't want to."

The demon, still in shock, looked down at their intertwined hands, and then back up at Alice, tears in his eyes. "You love me..." He felt foolish, but it was so difficult to wrap his mind around. "I-I..." he took a deep breath, regaining some of his composure, and then looking back into the hunter's eyes, his own flicking midnight black in his intensity. "I love you Alice. With all that is left of my soul, heart, and mind. You have my love." It sounded like a promise and a declaration in one. He gazed into her eyes for a long moment, still barely daring to believe it, and then he glanced down again, heaving a sigh of relief and exhilaration at once. Looking back up at her, he smiled a bit sheepishly. "Sorry for losing it a bit there lass. I just didn't expect... couldn't imagine that in a thousand years... Well..." He flicked his eyes back to blue again before continuing. "I must apologize for my words earlier. I did not mean to accuse you as a liar or to demean your own feelings. I simply did not think it possible for _you_ to love _me_... As I do you." He grinned ecstatically, still unsure of himself, but exhilarated nonetheless.

Alice wrapped her arms around him, holding him close with a light laugh. "It's okay, It was a bit of a shock for both of us I think... Though, you a little more than me...I never expected it either, to be honest. Kind of hit me like a truck one day." She smiled widely. "But I do. I love you Damian, and I don't care what anyone says, hell or high water, that isn't going to change. Once again, her heart pounded in her chest. She'd actually done it. She'd actually told him... And he loved her too?

He hugged her tightly, feeling euphoric, as if he could conquer the world, so long as she stood by his side. He couldn't help a laugh of his own, his joy overflowing. _Alice loved him_. He had been given all that he had never dared dream of. "I will never cease to love you, lass. Should that day come, I would tear out my own heart before I allowed it to betray you so." he stopped for a moment, unable to repress his inherent sense of humor, and then added, "I'd offer to die for you, but that's so last week."

Alice let out a bubbly laugh, feeling like an elephant's worth of weight was lifted off her shoulders. "Yeah, _so_ outdated." She agreed, giggling softly, trying to keep her voice down. After all, people in the house were still sleeping. She let herself relax into him for a moment before pulling back to look at him. "Look at me." She said softly, a bright smile on her face, a light blush on her cheeks, and a glow in her eye. "Remember this. Don't you ever forget this. Don't you ever forget that I love you. Don't you ever try to tell yourself that it isn't possible."

"I-I will try, lass." He smiled. "The reverse is true as well, Alice. Despite my own nature, I love you, and that will not change." Rising to his feet, the demon was surprised that he was able to get up without stumbling or staggering, and when he looked down at his legs, he realized that they had healed entirely. "I swear I've healed almost twice as fast every time I've slept near you as when I'm away." he muttered, more to himself than anything else, but still surprised and happy. Removing the now-unnecessary sling from his newly healed (again) shoulder, he reached down and offered Alice a hand up.

Alice smiled warmly, looking up at him. "I guess I just have that effect on people." She said with a grin. She let out a light laugh, gladly taking his hand. "Always the perfect gentleman." She noted as she let him help her up.

He laughed at her first comment, and then shrugged at the second. "What can I say? I grew up in a time where you said 'yes sir' and 'yes ma'am', and you held the door for elders and ladies and such. Most of my manners were lost when I died and went through the Pit's lovely hospitality, but it seems some things just stuck." he grinned. "Well lass, up for breakfast?"


End file.
